Sunil Grover, the Hindi comedian and actor, was discharged from the Asian Heart Institute in Mumbai on Thursday after undergoing bypass surgery.
On January 8, the 44-year-old actor, who is popular as ‘Gutthi’ and ‘Dr Mashoor Gulati’ from The Kapil Sharma Show, had suffered a heart attack and was admitted to the hospital. He also tested positive for the novel coronavirus at the time of admission. An angiography was done and the results showed that all of his three arteries had blockages. Hence, bypass surgery was done.
On the day of Grover’s discharge, Dr Santosh Kumar Dora of Asian Heart Institute spoke to the media outside the hospital and said, “He had to undergo a cardiogram, ECG and several blood tests. He had also tested positive for Covid-19, although he had no symptoms as such. Many people are testing positive for Covid-19 and not experiencing any symptoms. We had to treat him Covid-19 too.”
He further added that the chief cardiac surgeon, Dr Ramakanta Panda, did the bypass surgery. “Sunil Grover has recovered well and will be discharged today. Since he has had a heart attack, he will have to live a healthy lifestyle and take care of his diet. He has been exercising regularly, and will have to continue that. He has been asked to take complete rest at home after discharge. After a week, he will go through cardiac rehabilitation,” said Dr Dora, noting that Grover will be back to normal in two to three weeks.
Earlier this week, actor and television host Simi Garewal had taken to social media to wish Grover a speedy recovery. She wrote, “Am shocked that Sunil Grover has had heart surgery. Filling our hearts with laughter and joy…at the cost of his own... I pray he recovers fast. He has a formidable talent and I’m a huge fan!”
Kerala’s Women Commission has filed an application at the High Court seeking to be one of the respondents in the Public Interest Litigation (PIL) moved by Women in Cinema Collective (WCC) demanding the establishment of Internal Complaints Committee in the Malayalam film industry.
In the aftermath of the 2017 Malayalam female actor abduction and sexual assault incident, the WCC filed the PIL in 2018 seeking the establishment of a grievance redressal mechanism by the Association of Malayalam Artists (AMMA).
The Women’s Commission has now told the HC that the WCC had sent them an email stating that AMMA and the Cine & TV Artists Association (CINTAA) had not yet constituted a grievance cell despite being duty-bound to do so. It added that the association has still not established an Internal Complaints Committee/Grievance Redressal Cell as mandated by the Supreme Court in the Vishaka case and Sexual Harassment at Work Places (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act 2013.
The commission has hence sought to be added to the PIL as an additional respondent.
It may be noted that on July 1, 2017, the Kerala government established the Justice Hema Committee to study the issues of gender disparity, sexual harassment, and other issues faced by women in the Malayalam film industry and propose recommendations. Many women described their traumatic experiences before the commission.
Headed by retired judge Hema, the committee’s report was submitted to the government on December 31, 2019. Since then, one of the fights of the WCC has been to get the Hema Commission report published. The members of WCC have constantly been questioning the delay in the publishing of the report.
Last month, members of WCC met the Kerala Women’s Commission requesting intervention in the matter. Following that, the KWC Chairperson Sathidevi stated that the Hema Committee report is not bound to be brought up before the state assembly for debate as it had not been set up under the Commission of Inquiry Act.
However, she also said that the government was expected to take follow-up measures based on the recommendations of the committee and stressed the need for legislation to regulate the film industry. “Even years after the passage of the Equal Remuneration Act, disparity in wages is a reality in the industry. The commission is of the view that a production house should be given registration for filmmaking only after it sets up an ICC. We will place these issues before the government,” she had said.
The KWC, in its application before the HC now, also mentioned that it had written to the state government, on January 27, highlighting the necessity to implement the recommendations of the Hema Committee for the welfare of women artists in the film industry.
HC seeks explanation on Hema Commission Report from state and centre
Meanwhile, a separate petition demanding the implementation of the recommendations in the Hema Committee report has been filed before the High Court by a Malappuram-based organisation named Disha. The HC recently sought an explanation from the state government and the union government in connection to this petition, according to an Onmanorama report.
The petition stated that the government has not taken any further action based on the report. The state government, however, responded that local complaint committees have been formed in 14 districts as per Section 6 of Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act 2013 and 258 nodal officers have been appointed.
The petition also demanded action, including the registration of criminal cases, on the complaints filed before the Hema Committee by women working in the Malayalam film industry.
During the hearing, the court observed that the implementation of the Hema Committee report was a matter within the discretionary powers of the government.
Four men, charged with selling drugs to late actor Michael K Williams, were arrested on Wednesday, according to a US district court filing. Williams was found dead in his Brooklyn, New York penthouse in September 2021.
Irvin Cartagena, 39, Hector Robles, 57, Luis Cruz, 56, and Carlos Macci, 70, were arrested and charged with a narcotics conspiracy that resulted in the death of Williams by consumption of fentanyl-laced heroin. The charge carries a mandatory prison term between 5 and 40 years.
Cartagena, who is said to have personally given the fentanyl-laced heroin to Williams, is charged with causing the actor’s death. His potential prison term ranges from a minimum of 20 years to life imprisonment.
“Deadly opioids like fentanyl and heroin don’t care about who you are or what you’ve accomplished. They just feed addiction and lead to tragedy. The Southern District of New York and our law enforcement partners will not give up. We will bring every tool to bear. And we will continue to hold accountable the dealers who push this poison, exploit addiction, and cause senseless death,” US Attorney Damian Williams said in a statement.
The court document added screenshots from a surveillance video, which showed the hand-to-hand transaction between Cartagena and Williams.
Even after the actor’s death, the four men allegedly continued to sell fentanyl-laced heroin in Manhattan and Brooklyn, according to the prosecution.
The 54-year-old actor, who was renowned for his role as Omar Little in the HBO show The Wire, was found dead in his apartment by a relative after he failed to turn up for an event. While the cause of death was suspected to be heroin overdose, it was only confirmed later.
The five-time Primetime Emmy nominee had earlier opened up about his struggles with narcotics during a conversation with NPR in 2016 and said that he could not separate his character Omar, who stole from drug dealers, from reality.
Apart from The Wire, Williams made brief appearances in shows like Boston Legal, The Sopranos, Law and Order, Human Giant, and Third Watch. His film work included roles in the Oscar-winning film 12 Years a Slave and Inherent Vice (2014).
Ramesh Deo, the Hindi and Marathi actor and producer, died on Wednesday evening at the Kokilaben Ambani Hospital in Mumbai after suffering a heart attack. He was 93.
His son Ajinkya confirmed Deo’s demise to The Indian Expressand said, “My father was not keeping well for the last a few days. He was experiencing breathlessness on Wednesday morning. So, we admitted him to the hospital and he passed away in the evening due to a heart attack.’’
The late actor’s last rites will be held on Thursday afternoon at Mumbai’s Vile Parle cremation ground.
Born in Amravati in Maharashtra, Deo began his career with a cameo in the 1951 Marathi film Paatlaachi Por. He went on to appear in over 280 Hindi films, 190 Marathi films and 30 Marathi dramas.
Deo played a villain in the 1956 Marathi film Andhala Magto Ek Dola, which marked his formal debut as an actor. He followed this up by playing supporting roles in several films starring Rajesh Khanna in lead, such as Anand, Joru Ka Ghulam, Aap Ki Kasam, Prem Nagar, Ashanti, and Goraa.
He also appeared as a supporting actor in films like Mehrbaan, Dus Lakh, Rampur Ka Lakshman, Fakira, the Shatrughan Sinha-starrer Mere Apne, and several others.
Later, in the 80s, Deo began producing feature films, television serials and ad films. He also directed around eight Marathi films, including Chor Chor, Jeeva Sakhaa, Senani Sane Guruji and Chal Gammat Karu.
Deo won the Lifetime Achievement Award at the 11th Pune International Film Festival in 2013.
Tributes poured in for the late actor from the film fraternity, writers, politicians and several other celebrities.
“Ever since I can recall, Ramesh Deo ji had been a conscious part of cinema. Goodbye sir and thanks for the million memories,” wrote film historian and writer Gautam Chintamani.
Deo is survived by his wife, actor Seema Deo, and his sons, Ajinkya Deo and Abhinay Deo.
Monica Vitti, the Italian actor best known for her collaborations with filmmaker Michelangelo Antonioni in the 1960s, died on Wednesday. She was 90.
Italy’s former culture minister Walter Veltroni announced her demise on Twitter. “Roberto Russo, her partner of all these years, asks me to communicate that Monica Vitti is no longer there. I do it with pain, affection, regret,” he wrote.
Dario Franceschini, Italy’s current culture minister, described her as the “queen of Italian cinema” in a statement condoling her demise.
Vitti was born on November 3, 1931, as Maria Luisa Ceciarelli. She graduated from the National Academy of Dramatic Arts in Rome and began her career in the theatre taking on her mother’s maiden name for a stage name.
Her first film was one in which she appeared in an uncredited role – Ridere! Ridere! Ridere! (Laugh! Laugh! Laugh) in 1954. Vitti went on to play various small roles before she met Antonioni and starred in his trilogy L’Avventura (1960), La Notte (1961), and L’Eclisse (1962).
L’Avventura was her first film as a leading lady and it catapulted her to international recognition. The film was nominated for numerous awards, and was awarded the Jury Prize at the 1960 Cannes Film Festival.
As work on the film began, Antonioni and Vitti moved in together and remained in a relationship until 1967. Speaking about the celebrated Italian filmmaker, she had said, “What I’d learned in drama school wasn’t much use on the rocks of Lisca Bianca [the Sicilian island where L’Avventura was filmed], where we were shooting under such dramatic conditions. Michelangelo treats his actors as objects, and it is useless to ask him the meaning of a scene or a line of dialogue.”
In 1964, Vitti starred in another Antonioni film, Red Desert, with Richard Harris of Harry Potter fame.
A few films later, she made her English-language debut in 1966, with the film Modesty Blaise, based on Peter O’ Donnell’s comic strip. Her second English film, An Almost Perfect Affair, came only in 1979.
Following the end of her relationship with Antonioni, Vitti appeared in a streak of comedy films, such as The Queens, Kill Me Quick, I’m Cold, I Married You For Fun, The Girl with a Pistol, and The Bitch Wants Blood, among others.
She became the only woman considered on par with the popular Italian male comic actors of the 70s, and commanded a salary at the same level too.
Vitti won several awards in Italy for her work in cinema and also won the Silver Bear for outstanding single achievement at the 34th Berlin International Film Festival for one of her last films, Flirt (1983).
In 2000, Vitti married Roberto Russo, her long-time partner and the director of Flirt, and is survived by him.
Actor Dileep’s flat at Ravipuram in Kochi was raided by the crime branch team on Tuesday, The New Indian Expressreported. The police are currently investigating Dileep and his associates in connection with an alleged conspiracy to kill the officers who probed the 2017 female actor abduction and assault case.
According to the report, officials said that the raid was conducted with the Kerala High Court’s permission. The search operation began at around 12.15 pm and continued till evening. It was launched based on the allegations of filmmaker Balachandra Kumar, who had earlier told the police that Dileep and two others hatched the conspiracy to kill the investigating officers at the flat.
Meanwhile, on the same day, as per the Kerala HC’s direction, the Judicial First Class Magistrate Court in Aluva received the six mobile phones of Dileep and the other accused. The magistrate court will in turn send the phones for forensic examination.
While hearing Dileep’s anticipatory bail plea on Tuesday afternoon, the High court Justice Gopinath P ordered the HC Registrar General to transfer the phones of the accused to the magistrate court in a sealed cover. The judge observed that he did not want to create an impression that the accused in this case are getting more protection than an ordinary accused would.
The investigating officer confirmed that five of the mobile phones produced before the court were the ones sought by the prosecution. The IMEI number of the sixth phone, however, could not be verified.
Director-General of Prosecution TA Shaji said that the investigation team had identified some more phones used by the accused from the call detail records. Dileep’s counsel, however, stated that one of the phones used by the actor was not with them.
The prosecutor also told the court that the accused were not cooperating with the investigation and hence, the probe could not be taken forward. According to Shaji, the investigating officials had told him that Dileep, at one point during his interrogation, said that he would not cooperate with the probe.
Noting that ample material was available against them, the prosecutor argued that custodial interrogation of the accused persons, including Dileep, was necessary to unearth the conspiracy angle.
The next hearing on the anticipatory bail plea is scheduled for Thursday.
For a full timeline of the female actor abduction and assault case, see here.
A new complaint has been filed seeking an investigation into the death of Saleesh Vettiyattil, the mobile phone technician and short film director who serviced actor Dileep’s iPhone, Onmanoramareported.
The 42-year-old died in a road accident on the eve of Onam, and a case of accidental death had been registered at the time.
However, his brother, Shivadas Vettiyattil, has now filed a complaint with the Angamaly police seeking a probe, a few days after filmmaker Balachandra Kumar and Baiju Kottarakkara alleged that Saleesh’s death was unnatural and warranted an interrogation.
Dileep is facing trial in the ongoing female actor abduction and sexual assault case as the alleged mastermind behind the incident. At the end of 2021, the case gained momentum following some serious allegations that were levelled against Dileep by filmmaker Kumar, who claims to be the actor’s former friend.
Recently, in conversation with Reporter TV, Kumar made yet another allegation. He said that he had introduced Saleesh to Dileep after the latter came out on bail as Dileep wanted to retrieve some details from his iPhone. Kumar also claimed that the road accident Saleesh died in had occurred near the same place where the female actor assault happened.
Following this, a complaint was filed by Saleesh’s brother after seeking permission from Saleesh’s wife and child. The complaint has been transferred to the crime branch.
Dileep’s iPhone was reportedly serviced at a mobile phone centre in Ernakulam where Saleesh had worked. The Onmanorama report notes that there is suspicion now that Saleesh died in the accident a day after working on the mobile phone in question.
Earlier, a case of accidental death was registered by the Angamaly police under the assumption that Saleesh had fallen asleep while driving his car. He had died after his car crashed into the divider and an eyewitness had said that Saleesh suddenly turned the steering and lost control over his vehicle while trying to avoid collision with another speeding vehicle.
Police officials have now sought legal advice on reopening the case as the local police had already given a closure report in court mentioning that the death was due to an accident.
The Onmanorama report adds that the police will soon record the statements of Saleesh’s relatives and colleagues.
For a full timeline of the female actor abduction and assault case, see here.
The action has been initiated by the police after the Kerala High Court directed them to investigate the allegations raised by Dileep that Reporter TV and other media outlets had violated the trial court’s gag order restricting the reporting of case proceedings.
Dileep is the eighth accused and the alleged mastermind behind the female actor abduction and sexual assault, which happened in February 2017. The case has been in courts for five years now.
Recently, in January, the actor moved the High Court seeking to restrain media coverage of the trial. In his petition against the state’s police chief, the investigating officer and a private television news organisation, Dileep accused the prosecution and the investigation team of creating negative public sentiment against him through a media trial. The HC then granted his plea and passed an order restricting the media from reporting on the court proceedings until the final verdict.
On January 18, Dileep alleged in a petition to the HC that Reporter TV and journalist Nikesh Kumar had violated the gag order. In response, the court ordered the police to enquire into the allegations and submit a report in two weeks.
Following this, FIRs were filed by the Cyber Crime police department of Kochi. According to the TNM report, the first FIR is regarding a story published on the Reporter’s online portal about the alleged suicide attempt of a female actor who was a witness in the case. The second and third FIRs are for a video report featuring Jinson, a witness and former cell-mate of the main accused Pulsar Suni. The fourth and fifth FIRs are about debates hosted by Nikesh on Reporter TV, featuring filmmaker Balachandra Kumar, whose recent allegations brought the case back into the limelight.
All the cases have been filed under section 228A(3), which deals with the publishing of matters concerning rape without prior permission of the court.
Earlier, in 2020, it may be noted that Dileep had moved the Special Court handling the female actor assault case against the “illegal act of publishing matters in relation to the in-camera proceedings in the case.” He argued that the publication of the matter was calculated to injure his reputation and violate his fundamental right to a fair trial. He had named 10 media houses as respondents at the time.
For a full timeline of the female actor abduction and assault case, see here.
Lata Mangeshkar, the legendary singer who has been hospitalised since January 8, is showing signs of improvement, Dr Pratit Samdani told ANI. The 92-year-old has been taken off the ventilator but continues to remain under observation in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) at Breach Candy Hospital, Mumbai.
“Lata Mangeshkar’s health condition has marginally improved. Her ventilator support was removed two days ago. She will continue to be under observation in ICU,” Dr Samdani told the news agency on Saturday.
On Sunday, Maharashtra Health Minister Rajesh Tope confirmed the same. He said, “I spoke with Dr Pratit Samdani, who is treating singer Lata Mangeshkar. She is recovering. She was on a ventilator for some days but is better now. She is no more on ventilator. Only oxygen is being given to her. She is responding to the treatment.”
It has been 20 days since Mangeshkar was hospitalised. On January 8, the singer was admitted to the hospital after testing positive for Covid-19. She has been in the ICU since then and was under observation for pneumonia.
Recently, the singer’s representatives took to social media to share that she had been taken off the ventilator as a ‘trial’. “Lata didi continues to be in the ICU at Breach Candy Hospital, Mumbai under treatment. She has been given a trial of extubation (off the invasive ventilator) this morning,” they wrote.
“Presently, she is showing signs of improvement but will remain under observation of the team of doctors, headed by Dr Pratit Samdani,” they added. “We thank each one of you for your prayers and good wishes.”
However, there is no news on when the veteran singer will be discharged from the hospital.
Born on September 28, 1929, in Indore, Madhya Pradesh, Mangeshkar entered the film industry in the 1940s as a 13-year-old. In a career spanning over seven decades, the singer has recorded songs for over a thousand Hindi films, besides singing in other languages including Marathi, Bengali, Tamil, Telugu, and Malayalam.
Mangeshkar’s last recorded song was the independent single Saugandh Mujhe Is Mitti Ki in 2019.
Joe Exotic, of Netflix‘s docuseries Tiger King fame, has been re-sentenced to 21 years of prison term instead of the initial judgement of 22 years in the murder-for-hire-plot case involving animal rights activist Carole Baskin, Deadline has reported.
Both Exotic, whose real name is Joseph Maldonado-Passage, and Baskin appeared in the first seson of the docuseries Tiger King. Baskin, owner of the Big Cat Rescue non-profit animal sanctuary, was pitted against Exotic, an American businessman and a private zoo-keeper. The series followed their journey and concluded with the arrest and conviction of Exotic for animal abuse and attempt to murder Baskin. He was sentenced to a prison term of 22 years.
But Exotic pleaded for a reduced sentence on medical grounds, as he began treatment for prostate cancer. He added that apart from stage-one prostate cancer, he is also suffering from a disease that comprises his immune system thus, making him prone to contracting COVID-19, according to the Deadline report.
“Please don’t make me die in prison waiting for a chance to be free,” Exotic was quoted telling the federal judge.
The judge thus, reduced his sentence, although by just one year.
Baskin and current husband Howard Baskin were also present during the proceedings.
She told the judge that Exotic continued to harbour ill feelings towards her. Baskin added that she has continued to receive “vile, abusive and threatening communications” over the last two years, despite Exotic’s imprisonment, and that he poses as an even more serious threat owing to the popularity that he gained through the show.
Tiger King was viewed by 64 million households within the first four weeks of its premiere in March 2020.
Netflix renewed it for a second season and its makers were slammed by Baskin, who alleged “betrayal and false portrayal.”
“When the directors of the Netflix documentary Tiger King came to us five years ago they said they wanted to make the big cat version of Blackfish (the documentary that exposed abuse at SeaWorld),” Baskin said, adding that the series “not only does not do any of that, but has had the sole goal of being as salacious and sensational as possible to draw viewers.”
She went on to to sue Netflix for using “unauthorised film footage” of her in the show’s sequel Tiger King 2.
Her request to restrict the makers of the show from using any film footage of the Baskins or Big Cat Rescue was however, turned down by a US court.
Evangeline Lilly, the Canadian actor who featured inThe Hobbit films and Marvel’s Ant-Man movies, drew ire from celebrities and the public for her anti-vaccination social media post on Thursday. The actor had earlier attended a protest rally against the vaccine mandates in the US.
Lilly shared a few pictures from the rally and, in a long Instagram post, said she had attended the march in Washington DC to “support bodily sovereignty while Canadian truckers were rallying for their cross-country, peaceful convoy in support of the same thing.”
“I believe nobody should ever be forced to inject their body with anything, against their will, under threat of: violent attack, arrest or detention without trial, loss of employment, homelessness, starvation, loss of education, alienation from loved ones, excommunication from society, under any threat whatsoever,” she wrote, adding that she was “pro choice” before Covid-19 and still remained the same.
With the world reeling under the effects of the pandemic for nearly two years now and countries across the world urging their citizens to get vaccinated to eradicate the virus, Lilly’s post was met with both sharp criticism and some support.
A few celebrities also took to social media to express their disappointment with her anti-vaccination stance, without taking Lilly’s name.
American actor David Dastmalchian, who has appeared in superhero films such as Ant-Man, The Suicide Squad, and The Dark Knight, wrote on Twitter, “It’s so unfortunate when people with a large platform use that platform to share irresponsible things.”
Canadian actor Simu Liu, best known for his title role in Marvel’s Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings film, said, “The media needs to stop spotlighting opinions that are not rooted in facts or science.” He also mentioned that he lost his grandparents to Covid-19, while they were waiting for their vaccines. “I’m fortunate to have been double-vaccinated and boosted when I got Covid two weeks ago. Felt like a cold,” he added.
In a follow-up tweet, he mentioned witnessing UNICEF’s efforts to deliver vaccines to underprivileged families around the world as its Canadian ambassador and said, “It’s a reminder of how lucky we are to be living in places where vaccine delivery and storage are not an issue. Please, please appreciate that.”
This is not the first time Lilly has come under the radar for her behaviour during the pandemic and disregard for the seriousness of Covid-19 and its effects. In March 2020, when the pandemic was at one of its peaks and the government had advised people to stay indoors, Lilly had shared a post about dropping her children off at gymnastics camp with the hashtag #businessasusual. Her disregard for the quarantine, despite living with a father who was battling stage IV leukemia, drew sharp criticism and actors like Sophie Turner called her out. Lilly subsequently apologised for her actions.
Lilly is not the only actor to court controversy with her views about the pandemic and Covid-19 vaccination. In December 2020, actor Letitia Wright had shared a conspiracy theory video on Twitter which questioned the safety of vaccines. It was later reported that she had made anti-vaccination statements on the sets of the upcoming Black Panther sequel. However, she denied expressing such thoughts and dismissed the report as “completely untrue.”
The order requires all six mobile phones to be handed over to the court registry in a sealed box by 10.15 am on Monday.
The ruling from Justice Gopinath P came after the prosecution approached the court on Friday and said Dileep and his associates were attempting to destroy critical evidence, including the mobile phones.
Earlier, after completing the three-day interrogation of the accused as per the court’s direction, the crime branch had asked Dileep to submit his mobile phone. However, he refused to do so citing lack of trust. The prosecution’s sub petition was presented in the court after this incident.
It may be noted that the crime branch had filed the new FIR against Dileep and his associates based on audio clips of phone conversations that were released by filmmaker Balachandra Kumar. In these clips, the accused are allegedly heard conspiring to kill the investigation officers in the female actor assault case.
While the court opined on Friday that the accused should hand over the phones to the investigating officials, the judge later decided to hold a hearing on Saturday so that counsels for the accused could file their counter.
During Saturday’s hearing, Director-General of Prosecution TA Shaji stated that by refusing to hand over their phones, the accused have demonstrated that they will not cooperate with the investigation. He added that after Kumar made his disclosures regarding the murder conspiracy, all the accused changed their phones immediately.
On the other hand, Dileep’s counsel, B Raman Pillai, argued that the prosecution was merely attempting to protract the trial in the 2017 abduction and assault case and somehow find a way to arrest the actor. He also sought more time for the accused to produce their phones.
However, the court denied his request and ordered that the phones be surrendered by Monday, noting that “the prosecution has every right to seek that the accused hand over the mobile phones for forensic examination” and that the examination of the phones “must be done by one of the agencies notified under Section 79 A of IT Act.”
Meanwhile, Dileep had earlier moved the HC seeking anticipatory bail in this new FIR. The bail plea is due for hearing on Wednesday and the actor and the other accused have been granted interim protection from arrest until then.
For a full timeline of the female actor abduction and assault case, see here.
A case has been filed against Hindi television actor Shweta Tiwari on Friday by the Bhopal Police, for allegedly hurting religious sentiments with her remark on god during the promotions for her upcoming web series, Show Stopper.
As per a PTI report, an official from Shyamla Hills police station said, “A case was registered against Shweta Tiwari today under IPC section 295 (A) (deliberate and malicious acts, intended to outrage religious feelings or any class by insulting its religion or religious beliefs).”
The step is said to have been taken based on a complaint lodged by a local resident, Sonu Prajapati, who alleged that the actor had hurt his religious sentiments with her comment.
Tiwari made the allegedly offensive statement during a press conference in Bhopal for the web series, Show Stopper, also starring Rohit Roy, Digangana Suryavanshi, and Sourabh Raaj Jain. In a short video clip that has gone viral, Tiwari can be heard saying, “Mere bra ki size bhagwan le rahe hain (God is taking the measurements for my bra size).”
Tiwari reportedly made this statement jokingly, referring to her co-star Jain, who had earlier featured as Lord Krishna in the Hindi television drama Mahabharata, and is now playing the role of a ‘bra-fitter’ in the upcoming series.
Soon, Madhya Pradesh Home Minister Narottam Mishra addressed the media and said that Tiwari’s statement was condemnable. He further directed the Police Commissioner of Bhopal to submit a detailed report within 24 hours, after investigating the incident.
Following this, the case was filed against the actor on Friday. “We will summon Shweta Tiwari to the police station either by sending her a notice by post or by sending a police team to her place to serve notice,” the Shyamla Hills police official said.
“The offence is non-bailable, but as it attracts an imprisonment of less than seven years, no arrest can be made as per the Supreme Court’s directive issued earlier,” the official further added.
Assistant Commissioner of Police (Kotwali) Bittu Sharma further told PTI that though the actor would be “formally arrested,” she is eligible for bail from the police station itself.
Hours after the registration of the case, Tiwari issued a statement clarifying that her comment has been “taken out of context” and “completely misconstrued.”
“As someone who has been a staunch believer of Bhagwan (god) myself, there is no way that I would, intentionally or unintentionally, say or do any such thing that would hurt sentiments by and large. Hence, I would like to humbly apologise for the hurt that my statement has unintentionally caused to a lot of people,” she wrote.
Silverscreen India is currently investigating the claims.
“Serial sexual harasser Birju Maharaj, whose unchecked predations drove away so many students from Kathak, dies at 83 without being punished or even formally called out by the Indian classical dance community,” wrote Amba Azaad on Twitter on the day of Maharaj’s demise.
Speaking to Silverscreen India, Azaad said that while she herself is not a victim, she has heard a story first-hand of “Birju Maharaj demanding sexual favours from his student” and has also heard three other stories from “people trusted by the victims.”
“I have heard many, many more stories through the whisper network. But none of them are my stories to tell and so far, none of the many people who have been violated and intimidated by him are willing to go public. I stand by what I said in my tweet,” she added.
A day later, Kathak dancer and teacher Naina Roychowdhury took to Instagram and shared what she had heard from her own guru.
“As tributes flood my feeds honouring Birju Maharaj, I can’t help but reflect on my own experiences with him,” Roychowdhury wrote, before going on to narrate what she had heard from one of her gurus, who had learned as a child alongside Maharaj and his senior disciple Saswati Sen. “Saswati Didi would cry to me on my bed and tell me stories of how BM (Birju Maharaj) would ask her to find more young Kathak dancers, some of these girls were teenagers, and she would weep as they often appeared into his bedroom, sometimes two at a time.”
Saswati Sen is a renowned exponent of Kathak, who used to perform with Maharaj and also teaches in his institute Kalashram in New Delhi.
Photo Source: Naina Roychowdhury Instagram
Since then, Roychowdhury has been sharing several more accounts from different anonymous survivors.
According to Roychowdhury, the survivors, some of whom were minors at the time, texted her personally to share stories of the sexual harassment they faced during their careers in Kathak specifically, and also in Indian classical dance and music in general.
As per one survivor’s account, once, during a regular class, Maharaj made some of the students sit beside him and she could feel “his erection” on her left elbow. The survivor added that she quit Kathak as a result of the experience. “At the time of the alleged assault, the survivor was a minor,” Roychowdhury wrote.
Photo Source: Naina Roychowdhury Instagram
Silverscreen India reached out to another Kathak dancer, Saberi Misra, who belongs to the 11th generation of the Jaipur Gharana. Misra, who grew up in this field and has been part of the Kathak world since birth, said, “The stories that are coming out are not new and I am not surprised. Yes, it is shocking, disgusting, and a horrible crime. But, it is not new to me.”
According to Misra, the more “disgusting” aspect is “the silence of senior artists because most of them know about this.”
“Not just Birju Maharaj, but this whole thing, about many such incidents and many such artists. And because of the silence of the senior artists, we are also taught to be silent and that’s just being passed on from generation to generation,” she added.
She further said “these dark stories” are not just prevalent in the dancing world but also in Indian classical music as well.
“This is very, very common in this field, actually. I have heard stories, but more importantly, I know people who have been subjected to and been victims of this. Not just from Birju Maharaj, but people from the Kathak world generally, and also in the classical music world.”
Javed Akhtar has opposed the “sixth attempt” by Kangana Ranaut to transfer the ongoing defamation case filed by the veteran lyricist against her from Andheri Magistrate RR Khan to another magistrate, Bar and Benchreported.
In the opposition plea, Akhtar stated that the actor had “unsuccessfully challenged the process followed by Magistrate Khan on five occasions and the present application was her sixth challenge.”
Earlier this week, Ranaut moved the Mumbai Sessions Court challenging the Magistrate’s dismissal of her plea seeking transfer of her extortion case against Akhtar, which was filed in response to his defamation case. That dismissal was the fifth unsuccessful challenge as listed by Akhtar in his recent response.
The defamation case dates back to November 2020, when Akhtar filed a complaint against Ranaut, alleging that she had made defamatory remarks about him during an interview with Republic TV, after the death of actor Sushant Singh Rajput by suicide. In the interview, which aired on July 19, 2020, Ranaut said that some of the senior members of the Hindi film industry, including Akhtar, were a part of a “gang” that was against “outsiders” in the industry.
The extortion case came up during a hearing in September 2021, when Ranaut had finally appeared in person before the court for the defamation case, after several warnings from the Metropolitan Magistrate Court.
Following the hearing, Ranaut filed a counter complaint alleging that during her public row with actor Hrithik Roshan in 2016, Akhtar had forced her to write an apology to Roshan. She also claimed that the lyricist had threatened her with dire consequences, if she refused to do so.
On December 18, 2021, the Chief Metropolitan Magistrates Court had dismissed the actor’s plea seeking transfer of this complaint on the grounds of alleged bias of the Andheri Magistrate hearing the defamation case. She had said that she did not wish to proceed with her extortion complaint before the same judge.
When Ranaut challenged this dismissal, Akhtar had submitted a 118-page response in which he stated that contrary to her claims of bias, the Andheri Magistrate had in fact accommodated her requests despite these being vehemently opposed by Akhtar’s counsel. He also pointed out that the Magistrate did not take any coercive action even when the actor failed to appear after being issued notice.
In his latest reply, Akhtar stated that “apart from the dates when Covid protocols were in force which allowed the parties to not appear in person, there were seven exemption applications filed by Ranaut which had been allowed by Magistrate Khan.”
He also mentioned that Ranaut had failed to appear a total of 12 times when the matter was listed for hearing.
Akhtar once again accused Ranaut of delaying and derailing the proceedings with her “wilful and deliberate absence” and “delay tactics.”
The next hearing in the case has been scheduled for February 4.
The Delhi High Court, on Thursday, expunged adverse remarks made by the court against actor Juhi Chawla when dismissing her petition challenging the 5G rollout in India.
The division bench allowed Chawla’s appeal and set aside the single judge’s June 4, 2021 order which had dismissed the suit filed by the actor and two others, stating that it was “defective” and filed for “gaining publicity.”
On May 31, last year, Chawla moved the Delhi High Court against the proposal to set up a 5G network in the country. She had filed a 5,000-page lawsuit with 33 parties listed as defendants, including the Science and Engineering Research Board, Ministry of Communications, Ministry of Electronics and Information, Ministry of Science and Technology, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Ministry of Environment, Forests, and Climate Change, Indian Council of Medical Research, some universities, and the World Health Organization.
When dismissing this petition, the court had also stated that the actor and the other plaintiffs abused the process of law and imposed costs of Rs 20 lakh, including unpaid court fees, on them.
Chawla and the plaintiffs had then sought a refund of court fees and a waiver of costs, which “shocked” the court. “This is the most frivolous application I’ve seen in my life,” Justice JR Midha told Chawla’s counsel on July 7, adding, “We were inclined to issue contempt notice, but didn’t.”
During Thursday’s hearing, the bench consisting of Justices Vipin Sanghi and Jasmeet Singh expunged the adverse remarks made by Justice Midha. The court also reduced the costs imposed on Chawla from Rs 20 lakh to Rs 2 lakh. This was done after the actor agreed to work with the Delhi State Legal Services Authority, in whose favour cost had been awarded, and stated that she would participate in DSLSA’s programme to advance the cause of marignalised children and women who are in need of legal aid.
In addition to this, the court also noted that Chawla’s suit may have been filed for a genuine cause and the petitioners’ lack of legal background may be responsible for the manner in which the plea came to be drafted. It, therefore, allowed Chawla to carry on with her pursuit against 5G before the appropriate forum.
After media reports quoted Nagarjuna as saying his son Naga Chaitanya’s separation from his wife Samantha Ruth Prabhu was the decision of the latter, which was “accepted” by his son, the veteran actor has taken to social media and dismissed the reports as false.
Using the hashtag #GiveNewsNotRumours, Nagarjuna tweeted on Thursday, “The news in social media and electronic media quoting my statement about Samantha and Naga Chaitanya is completely false and absolute nonsense!” He further requested the media to “refrain from posting rumours as news.”
Naga Chaitanya and Samantha had announced their parting of ways as a couple in October 2021 after four years of marriage. Since then, speculations surrounding their separation, particularly targeting Samantha, have been circulating. This even led to Samantha releasing a statement and filing defamation suits against a few YouTube channels for spreading malicious information about her.
Recently, Naga Chaitanya, during the promotions for his film Bangarraju, had said that the decision to part was taken mutually.
However, their separation is still a matter of discussion with some media reports speculating that Samantha might reunite with Naga Chaitanya since the posts announcing their split were deleted from her social media pages.
Meanwhile, media reports also surfaced stating that Nagarjuna had said that it was Samantha who had initiated the divorce and Naga Chaitanya had “accepted” it though he was worried about his “family’s reputation.”
Nagarjuna was further quoted as saying, “Naga Chaitanya consoled me very much as he thought I would be worried. They both have been together for four years in the marriage but no problem like this came between them. Both were so close and I don’t know how it came down to this decision. They even celebrated 2021’s New Year together. It seems that the problems have arisen after that.”
Dismissing these reports as rumours, Nagarjuna has clarified on social media now that the news is false. His message was also retweeted by Naga Chaitanya. Samantha has not commented so far.
Lata Mangeshkar, the legendary singer who has been hospitalised since January 8, showed signs of improvement after she was taken off the ventilator on Thursday as a trial. However, the 92-year-old continues to remain under observation in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) at the Breach Candy Hospital, Mumbai.
The singer’s representatives took to social media to share the update on her health. “Lata didi continues to be in the ICU at Breach Candy Hospital, Mumbai under treatment. She has been given a trial of extubation (off the invasive ventilator) this morning,” they wrote.
“Presently, she is showing signs of improvement but will remain under observation of the team of doctors, headed by Dr Pratit Samdani,” they added. “We thank each one of you for your prayers and good wishes.”
It has been 20 days since Mangeshkar was hospitalised. On January 8, the singer was admitted to the hospital after testing positive for Covid-19. She has been in the ICU since then and was under observation for pneumonia.
When Silverscreen India reached out to Dr Samdani a week after she was admitted, he had mentioned that it was hard to say when she would recover. “She is still in ICU and under observation. Recovery takes time and it is difficult for me to say when she will come out of ICU. Pray for her,” the doctor had said.
Recently, on Tuesday, Mangeshkar’s family took to Twitter and requested people to not spread rumours regarding her health. “There is a marginal improvement in Lata didi’s health and she continues to be in the ICU. Kindly refrain from spreading disturbing rumours or falling prey to random messages regarding didi’s health. Thank you,” they wrote.
Born on September 28, 1929 in Indore, Madhya Pradesh, Mangeshkar entered the film industry in the 1940s as a 13-year-old. In a career spanning over seven decades, the singer has recorded songs for over a thousand Hindi films, besides singing in other languages including Marathi, Bengali, Tamil, Telugu, and Malayalam.
Known as the ‘Melody Queen of India’, Mangeshkar received the Padma Bhushan in 1969, followed by the Dadasaheb Phalke award in 1989, and the Padma Vibhushan in 1999. She was also bestowed with the Bharat Ratna, the highest civilian honour in India, in 2001. She has received the Legion of Honour award from France as well.
Mangeshkar’s last recorded song was the independent single Saugandh Mujhe Is Mitti Ki in 2019.
Actor Armaan Kohli has been issued a notice by the Bombay High Court based on his former girlfriend’s plea to restore the 2018 case she had filed against him for assault.
In the application, Kohli’s former girlfriend Neeru Randhawa had also sought contempt action against the actor.
On June 3, 2018, the Mumbai Police had registered an FIR against Kohli under IPC sections 323 (hurt), 326 (grievous hurt), 504 and 506 (criminal intimidation) after Randhawa accused him of assault. She allegedly required 15 stitches on her head following the incident. The actor was subsequently arrested.
Shortly after his arrest, Kohli paid an amount of Rs 50 lakh to Randhawa and moved the High Court to quash the FIR against him. His brother had also issued two other post-dated cheques to her, amounting to Rs 50 lakh, on Kohli’s behalf. The FIR was then quashed on June 15, 2018 with Randhawa’s consent.
At the time, the court had also taken an undertaking from the actor that he regretted his actions and would not repeat such behaviour in the future.
However, both the post-dated cheques had bounced and therefore, Randhawa moved the High Court that same year seeking to restore the FIR. She also sought contempt action against the actor as well as his brother for issuing the cheques.
During the hearing of the case earlier this month, Randhawa’s counsel, Kushal Mor, informed the court that Kohli was now in prison in connection with a drugs case while his brother, who was bed-ridden, had passed away.
The court then issued a fresh notice to Kohli and also permitted Randhawa to physically serve him at the Mumbai Central Prison, where he is currently lodged.
However, the court turned down Randhawa’s request for contempt action against Kohli citing that a remedy via a separate contempt petition was available to her.
Kohli is currently in jail after being arrested as part of the drug probe that was initiated after actor Sushant Singh Rajput’s death. He was booked on August 28, 2021 under several sections of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substance Act (NDPS Act) by the Narcotics Control Board (NCB) after they seized cocaine from his Mumbai residence.
Prince Andrew has filed seeking a trial by jury in Virginia Giuffre’s sexual abuse lawsuit against him. The court documents filed by his lawyers on Wednesday also denied allegations that Jeffrey Epstein trafficked girls to him.
Epstein, who was convicted of child prostitution in 2008, was arrested again in 2019 on charges of sex trafficking. He died by suicide while awaiting trial.
Giuffre, one of Epstein’s accusers, sued Prince Andrew in 2021 for forcing her to have sexual intercourse with him when she was 17. She alleged that Epstein kept her as a “sex slave” and forced her to have sex with Andrew at the London home of his recently convicted associate Ghislaine Maxwell, daughter of late media baron Robert Maxwell.
Giuffre sued Andrew under the Child Victims Act, a New York state law that allows child sexual abuse victims to “pursue claims against their abusers, even if the abuse occurred decades earlier.”
After Giuffre was allowed to move forward with her suit, Andrew’s legal team petitioned to interrogate her husband Robert Giuffre and her psychologist Dr Judith Lightfoot. Giuffre’s legal team, on the other hand, has sought to speak to the Prince’s former assistant, who was witness to the alleged abuse.
In the filing on Wednesday, Andrew’s lawyers brought up the settlement between Giuffre and Epstein once again and claimed that it shielded Andrew from litigation as it includes a release for third parties. They also said that the Duke of York lacked sufficient information to admit or deny the allegations of sex trafficking levelled against Epstein and Maxwell.
Although Andrew denies all allegations of misconduct, the filing does mention that he met Epstein “in or around 1999.”
Mumbai Police, on Wednesday, filed an FIR against Google’s CEO Sundar Pichai, four others from the company, and YouTube Managing Director Gautam Anand based on a complaint of copyright infringement.
The complaint was lodged by film director Suneel Darshan, who has alleged that Google allowed unauthorised persons to upload his 2017 film, Ek Haseena Thi Ek Deewana Tha, on YouTube.
The FIR comes a day after Pichai was named a recipient of the Padma Bhushan award.
The police registered the FIR for offences under Sections 51 (copyright infringement), 63 (infringement of copyright or other rights), and 69 (offences by companies) of the Copyright Infringement Act, 1957.
As per an NDTV report, the filmmaker alleged that a large amount of money was being made through the illegal uploading of his film. “I hold Sundar Pichai responsible since he represents Google,” the NDTV report quotes Darshan as saying. “I have tracked over 1 billion views of my Ek Haseena Thi Ek Deewana Tha. No action has been taken despite this concern being raised with the company.”
According to a report in the Economic Times, a spokesperson from Google India told the publication that the company relies on copyright owners to notify it of unauthorised uploads and offers them “rights management tools, such as YouTube’s Content ID system that gives rights holders an automated way to identify, block, promote, and even make money from uploads of their content.”
“When a copyright holder notifies us of a video that infringes their copyright, we remove the content promptly in accordance with the law, and terminate the accounts of users with multiple copyright strikes,” the spokesperson further told ET.
This is not the first FIR to be filed in India against Pichai. Last year, police in Uttar Pradesh’s Varanasi had booked the Google CEO over a video that allegedly defamed Prime Minister Narendra Modi. However, later, his name and that of other Google executives were removed after they were found to not be involved in the case. According to a report, the FIR was lodged following a complaint by a local resident who claimed that he got over 8,500 threat calls on his mobile phone after he objected to the video that had over 5 lakh views on YouTube.
On Thursday, Justice P Gopinath granted adjournment on the bail plea until next Wednesday, after Director General of Prosecution TA Shaji informed the court that the examination of digital evidence was yet to be completed.
Shaji also said that a sealed report on the three-day interrogation of Dileep and the other accused will be submitted on Tuesday.
Dileep’s counsel, senior advocate B Raman Pillai, asked that the actor’s temporary protection from arrest be extended till the next hearing. The prosecution agreed to this, and the court thus extended the interim order, directing that no arrest be made until Wednesday.
In accordance with the high court’s order, Dileep and the other accused had appeared for interrogation at the Crime Branch office from Sunday to Tuesday. The court had also instructed the accused to fully cooperate with the probe, and said that violations of any conditions would lead to their interim protection being revoked. They were interrogated individually at the Crime Branch office over the three days between 9 am and 8 pm.
During the course of the interrogation, aside from the accused, the Crime Branch also recorded statements of filmmakers Rafi, Arun Gopi, Vyasan Edavanakkad, Dileep’s confidante and advocate Sajith, and Sijo, the accountant of the recently released film Kesu Ee Veedinte Nadhan, according to an Onmanorama report.
As per the police, Vyasan was summoned to identify the voices of the accused, including Dileep, in the audio clips submitted by director Balachandra Kumar. It was based on these clips, in which the accused allegedly discuss killing the investigators, that the new FIR was filed.
Advocate Sajith was reportedly the one who had spoken to Kumar in person on Dileep’s behalf and, as per the Onmanorama report, his statements confirmed Dileep’s counter allegations that the filmmaker tried to extort money from him.
The investigation team has not questioned Kumar as yet and only plans to summon him after examining the allegations raised against him.
Meanwhile, one Dasan, who worked at Dileep’s house when the alleged incident happened, and the staff at his production company were summoned and their statements recorded.
Recently, the Kerala high court turned down the State’s plea requesting an extension for the trial against Dileep in the 2017 actor assault case. February 16 is the deadline set by the Supreme Court for completion of the trial.
However, the high court did grant the prosecution 10 more days to examine the additional witnesses summoned in the case.
For a full timeline of the female actor abduction and assault case, see here.
It is to be noted that the Kerala High Court, on January 17, allowed the prosecution to examine five additional witnesses and re-examine three witnesses in the case, as per a report by The Hindu. It further said that Justice Kauser Edappagath directed the prosecution to ensure that the examination of witnesses and production of documents was completed by January 27.
Earlier, Ernakulam Additional Special Sessions Court rejected the plea to recall some of the witnesses and summon additional witnesses for examination. Following which, a counter appeal was filed at the high court, which granted the permission for the same.
However, on Tuesday, the Director-General of Prosecution TA Shaji informed the Court that only three witnesses have been examined so far, and that they may need ten more days to finish examining the other two additional witnesses.
“Having heard both sides, the time granted by this court to complete the examination of witnesses vide order dated Jan 17, 2022, is extended for a further period of 10 days. Learned DGP shall see that the examination of witnesses shall be completed by the extended period of 10 days from January 27, 2022,” the Court noted.
Senior Advocate B Raman Pillai, who appeared for actor Dileep, one of the main accused in the case, said that this may be the last extension granted. The court ordered the prosecution to ensure that the examination of witnesses are completed, within the stipulated time period.
With the trail almost nearing completion, a new case was registered against the actor and his associates, for allegedly conspiring to kill police officials, who were investigating them, in the female actor abduction and assault case. A case was filed based on the allegations and evidence (audio clips) released by filmmaker Balachandra Kumar, a former friend of Dileep.
Later, the police submitted Balachandra Kumar’s statement to the Ernakulam Additional Special Sessions Court and it ordered the Special Investigation Team (SIT) to inquire further, and file a report by January 20.
While the previous deadline for completion of the trail was set for February 16, 2022, the Supreme Court refused to pass an order on the Kerala government’s plea seeking an extension of six months for the trial’s completion, on Monday.
For a full timeline of the female actor abduction and assault case, see here.
Actor Shilpa Shetty has been discharged by a Mumbai court on Monday, in the obscenity case that was filed against her, after American actor Richard Gere publicly kissed her at a promotional event in Rajasthan back in 2007, Bar and Benchreported.
According to the Metropolitan Magistrate, Shetty seemed to be a “victim” in the case and Gere was the main accused.
Back in April 2007, in an AIDS awareness event, the Hollywood actor had held Shetty’s hand and kissed it while she was speaking. He went on to bend her backwards and kiss her on her cheek. In addition to making media headlines, the incident also faced massive outrage from political workers. They alleged that both the actors had dishonoured the Indian culture and blamed Shetty for not resisting Gere’s act, as per a Pinkvillareport.
A First Information Report (FIR) was registered against Shetty before a Judicial Magistrate First Class in Mundawar, Rajasthan, under Sections 292, 293, 294 (obscenity) of the Indian Penal Code, along with provisions of Information Technology and Indecent Representation of Women (Prohibition) Act, based on a complaint against both Shetty and Gere.
In 2017, the Supreme Court had granted Shetty’s petition to transfer the case to Mumbai. Following which, the case was transferred to and heard by the Metropolitan Magistrate at Ballard Pier, Mumbai.
Later, Shetty had filed for discharge under Section 239 (discharge after considering police report and documents) and Section 245 (discharge after considering evidence) of the Code of Criminal Procedure, through Advocate Madhukar Dalvi.
In her application, Shetty stated that the allegation against her was “only that she did not protest when she was kissed by the co-accused Richard Gere” which by no means made her a perpetrator of the crime.
During the hearing on Monday, the court considered all the police reports and documents in the case, and stated that the charges against the actor were groundless, while allowing her discharge under Section 239. However, the court rejected the application under Section 245 as the summons triable case had no provision for discharge.
“Not a single element of any of the alleged offence is being satisfied in the complaint. Moreover, none of the paper annexed with the final report discloses the act of present accused so as to bring her within the purview of Section 34 of IPC (common intention),” said the court.
Actor Kangana Ranaut has moved the Mumbai Sessions Court challenging the Magistrate order, which dismissed her plea seeking transfer of the extortion case, filed against veteran lyricist Javed Akhtar, as per a Bar and Bench report.
The extortion case came up during a hearing in September 2021, in the ongoing defamation case filed by Akhtar against the actor.
On September 20, 2021, Ranaut had finally appeared in person before the court for the defamation case, after receiving several warnings from the Metropolitan Magistrate’s Court of facing arrest for failing to do so.
Following the hearing, Ranaut filed a counter complaint where she alleged that during the controversy with actor Hrithik Roshan in 2016, Akhtar had invited herself and her sister Rangoli Chandel to his house, forcing her to pen a written apology to Roshan. She also claimed that Akhtar had threatened her with dire consequences, if she refused to do so.
Voicing the lyricist’s alleged threat, Ranaut also stated in her complaint that he had tried to question her character, during the meeting at his house and mentioned, “My co-star, with whom I had a dispute with, had a lot of evidence against me and shall use all such pieces of evidence against me, which will put my moral character to shame and tarnish my public image.”
On December 18, 2021, the Magistrate court had dismissed the actor’s plea seeking transfer of the complaint, as she had already alleged bias against the Andheri Magistrate hearing the defamation case. She had said that she did not wish to proceed with her extortion complaint, before the same judge.
Earlier, on September 9, 2021, Ranaut’s plea seeking to quash the defamation case alleging bias against the Magistrate, was dismissed by the Bombay High Court.
