'Called the police': CINTAA tussle escalates as Upasana Singh alleges Poonam Dhillon, Padmini Kolhapure attempted to take documents from association premises

The ongoing tussle within the Cine and TV Artistes’ Association (CINTAA) has taken another turn after a video showing actress Upasana Singh and former CINTAA members in an altercation with the police surfaced online. The video also features former president Poonam Dhillon and former vice-president Padmini Kolhapure. Amid the development, Upasana has alleged that Poonam and Padmini attempted to remove CINTAA documents from the association’s premises and said a police complaint has been filed over the matter.Upasana recalled how she learnt about the incident and rushed to the premises. “An actor who was passing by called me and told me what was happening. I immediately reached there and called the police,” she said in an interview with HT City.In the video doing the rounds on social media, Upasana and actress Priti can be seen speaking to a police officer and asking him to return the papers. Upasana claimed the issue began after a CINTAA member raised concerns about alleged irregularities in certain documents and suggested that they be examined forensically.“He felt that something was not right with them. After that, today I got to know that Padmini and Poonam were taking out CINTAA documents in a tempo,” Upasana told the publication.She further explained that her intervention in the video was aimed at informing the police that Poonam and Padmini were no longer authorised to enter the CINTAA premises following the approval of the election.Alleging that the removal of the documents was an attempt to conceal information, Upasana said, “Taking the documents is an illegal move to cover their tracks.” She also claimed, “We have filed a police complaint.”Questioning why the documents were allegedly being moved, Upasana added, “If everything was fine, why would they try to take out these documents?” She suggested that the alleged move raised questions about what the former office-bearers may have been attempting to hide.The latest allegations come against the backdrop of a prolonged internal dispute within CINTAA. The crisis intensified in August after 11 Executive Committee members, including eight elected members, resigned, citing concerns over the association’s functioning and alleged unilateral decision-making by its leadership.Upasana Singh and other dissenting members had accused CINTAA president Poonam Dhillon and general secretary Padmini Kolhapure of undemocratic functioning. Both actresses have denied the allegations.The resignations subsequently triggered a dispute over the association’s leadership and the need for fresh elections. The Federation of Western India Cine Employees (FWICE) called for new CINTAA elections to be held on September 12, 2026, following the leadership crisis.Get the latest Bollywood & Entertainment News, and more. Download the TOI app.Give your child the gift of confidence! Claim your exclusive TOI Masterclass spot today!