When hearing bail plea on Friday, Justice Gopinath P stated that he wants to see the statements made by filmmaker Balachandra Kumar, to understand his allegations against Dileep before passing an order on the actor’s petition.
Earlier, on Sunday, the crime branch had filed the new FIR against Dileep and five others, based on audio clips released by Kumar, who claims to be Dileep’s former friend. In the clips that were shared on the Reporters Live news channel, the accused are allegedly heard conspiring to kill the investigation officers in the female actor assault case. Countering this, Dileep moved the HC seeking anticipatory bail.
In the previous hearing of the bail plea, on Tuesday, Dileep’s counsel had termed the new FIR a “mockery,” and added that the audio clips mentioned in it were “a product of fabrication, doctoring and no reliance whatsoever can be placed on [them].”
At Friday’s hearing, senior advocate B Raman Pillai, who was representing Dileep, also raised questions about the raid that was conducted at Dileep’s house on Thursday. “What did they want to raid? Dileep and his family were held under house arrest until the raid was over,” he said.
However, the judge noted that, according to the prosecution, a warrant had been obtained before initiating the search operation.
On Thursday, the Kerala crime branch raided the accused actor’s residence in Aluva, his production company’s office and his brother Anoop’s house, to search for an unlicensed pistol that the actor kept in his possession, according to Kumar. After almost eight hours of searching, officials seized mobile phones and computer hard disks, but no pistol was found.
Dileep is the eighth accused and alleged mastermind behind the abduction and sexual assault of a female Malayalam actor in February 2017.
For a full timeline of the female actor abduction and assault case, see here.
Sahdev Dirdo, who earned viral fame for his Bachpan ka Pyaar video, has recovered after being hospitalised for a bike accident. The 10-year-old took to Instagram and expressed gratitude to his doctors and well-wishers.
“Words will never be enough. Thank you all, for all the prayers and wishes,” he captioned his post. Speaking in Hindi, Dirdo said in the video, “Hello, this is Sahdev. I have fully recovered now. I want to thank everyone for their prayers and wishes. To the doctors and staff, thank you so much.”
On December 28, the young singer was travelling with his father on a motorcycle, when they met with an accident. Dirdo, who suffered from a serious head injury, was rushed to the district hospital. After being administered preliminary treatment there, he was shifted to Jagdalpur Medical College hospital. At the time, Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel had instructed regional collector Vineet Nandanwar to provide Dirdo with the best medical aid at the earliest.
A day after the accident, rapper-singer Badshah had informed his fans about it via social media. “In touch with Sahdev’s family and friends. He is unconscious, on his way to the hospital. I’m there for him. Need your prayers,” he wrote.
Badshah, who released a remix version of Bachpan ka Pyaar, featuring Dirdo, in August, later took to Twitter to share an update on the young singer’s condition and wrote that he would be going to Raipur to consult a good neurosurgeon.
In 2019, Dirdo became an internet sensation after a video of him singing the song Bachpan Ka Pyaar went viral. The video was reportedly shot the same year, inside his classroom, by his school teacher. After his sudden fame, while several content creators used his video to make their own content, Badshah included Dirdo in the music video of the song’s remix, along with singer Aastha Gill.
Britney Spears called out her sister Jamie Lynn Spears in a lengthy Twitter post on Thursday, after the latter gave an interview on Good Morning America to promote her upcoming book Things I Should Have Said, in which she has opened up about their relationship and the pop star’s 13-year long conservatorship.
In a series of tweets, Spears wrote about how she watched her sister’s interview with a fever. “It was actually kind of nice having a fever so high cause I had to surrender to not caring,” she wrote.
Specifically refuting Jamie Lynn’s claim that her behaviour had been ‘erratic, paranoid and spiralling’ over the years, Spears wrote, “My sister said that my behaviour was out of control. She was never around me much 15 years ago at that time… so why are they even talking about that unless she wants to sell a book at my expense?”
“I know it may sound like a silly thing to most people but I wrote a lot of my songs and my sister was the baby. She never had to work for anything. Everything was always given to her,” she further stated.
During the interview conducted by ABC News’ Juju Chang, Jamie Lynn said that she had always supported her older sister and had tried to help her get out of the conservatorship. “I’ve always been my sister’s biggest supporter,” she had said. “So when she needed help, I set up ways to do so, went out of my way to make sure that she had the contacts she needed to possibly go ahead and end this conservatorship and just end this all for our family. If it’s going to cause this much discord, why continue it?”
Addressing her feelings towards her family, Spears wrote in her note that they had ruined her aspirations and had gaslighted her, clearly expressing her disgust for their actions.
Responding to these tweets, Jamie Lynn took to Instagram on Friday and said that “the things being said are absolutely not true.”
“I hate to break my sister’s bubble, but my book is not about her. I can’t help that I was born a Spears too, and that some of my experiences involve my sister. I’ve worked hard since before I was even a teenager, and I’ve built my career in spite of just being someone’s little sister,” she continued.
Reiterating that she loves her sister and does not want any drama, Jamie Lynn concluded, “It’s time to put an end to the unhealthy chaos that has controlled my life for so long.”
Prince Andrew has been stripped of his military affiliations and his royal patronages, which have been returned to his mother, Queen Elizabeth, a statement from the British royal family announced on Wednesday.
Noting that this has been done with “the Queen’s approval and agreement,” the statement adds that Andrew will continue to not undertake any public duties and will defend himself in Virginia Giuffre’s case as a private citizen.
According to a BBC report, Andrew has also lost the right to use the title His Royal Highness in any official capacity.
The step comes after a US court rejected Andrew’s plea to dismiss Jeffrey Epstein-accuser Giuffre’s lawsuit against him. He will thus have to face the civil suit for allegedly sexually abusing Giuffre when she was a minor.
In her lawsuit, filed in 2021, Giuffre said Andrew had forced her to have sexual intercourse with him at the London home of Epstein’s associate Ghislaine Maxwell, who is also named in the suit. Maxwell was recently convicted by a New York court for trafficking and sexually abusing underage girls.
Giuffre has sued Andrew under the Child Victims Act, a New York state law that allows victims of child sexual abuse to hold their abusers accountable, even if the abuse occurred decades earlier. She has said that she was a victim of Epstein’s sex-trafficking and abuse from the age of 16.
Andrew had attempted to have the suit dismissed based on a 2009 agreement between Giuffre and Epstein that showed that the latter had paid Giuffre $500,000 to settle a different lawsuit of sexual abuse and sex-trafficking. While Andrew was of the view that this settlement also guaranteed him immunity from any liability, the New York court ruled that Andrew’s immunity under the settlement was ambiguous and therefore, dismissal of Giuffre’s lawsuit on those grounds was not justified.
In her Instagram post, the survivor spoke about her battle for justice, extending her gratitude to all those who have supported her.
Later that evening, the stalwarts of Malayalam cinema, Mammootty and Mohanlal, also shared the survivor’s post on their Instagram stories. Mammootty wrote, “With you,” while Mohanlal said, “Respect.”
With the blue blood of the Malayalam film industry expressing their solidarity for the survivor, her case received widermediacoverage.
WhatsApp Image 2022-01-12 at 3.28.05 PM
However, in a social media post, the WCC, while noting that it was extremely gratifying to witness the current support for the survivor from across the Malayalam and wider film industry, added that the members of the collective would “still like to make [their] disappointment known about how this support wasn’t forthcoming to her when she needed it most.”
During a media interaction, Rima noted that merely re-sharing social media posts was doing “too little, too late,” and stressed that influential artists should unite together to bring about a change in the culture of the film industry.
The star actors’ “late reaction” to the actor assault case has also drawn criticism from social media users.
It is notable that while Mohanlal had taken to social media a day after news broke about the assault in February 2017 to extend his support to the survivor and express strong condemnation of the act, he remained silent once actor Dileep’s involvement in the case came to light.
Later that June, at the Association of Malayalam Movie Artistes’ 23rd general body meeting, the AMMA’s president Innocent and other male actors like Mukesh, Devan, and Idavela Babu openly expressed support for the accused Dileep, while superstars Mammootty and Mohanlal both remained silent.
After Dileep’s arrest in July, however, he was expelled from the AMMA following an executive meeting at Mammootty’s residence in Kochi. Addressing the media after the meeting, Mammootty, the general secretary of AMMA at the time, had said, “We will all stand by the actress”. He also apologised on behalf of actors Mukesh and Ganeshkumar, who had misbehaved with the media earlier when asked about their stance on the issue.
On October 3, 2017, Dileep was granted bail. Following this, in June 2018, after Mohanlal took charge as AMMA’s new president, one of the first decisions the new leadership took was to revoke the suspension of Dileep. Four members of WCC – actors Rima Kallingal, Geetu Mohandas, Ramya Nambeesan, and the survivor – resigned from AMMA in protest.
Some time later, in October 2018, Mohanlal asked Dileep to tender his resignation.
Another actor whose stance on the issue has swung wildly is actor Aju Varghese, who had earlier expressed support for the accused Dileep. Aju also faced arrest for publicly revealing the survivor’s name in a Facebook post. Now, he has extended support to the survivor by sharing her statement, with the hashtags “solidarity” and “justice will prevail.”
Likewise, actor Mamtha Mohandas, who had earlier commented that the incident had “besmirched the reputation of the film industry,” also shared the survivor’s post now and wrote, “Only a fighter survives! Especially when there’s no other choice.”
WhatsApp Image 2022-01-12 at 3.40.55 PM
WCC demands material support and systemic change
In its recent statement, the WCC questionedhow the recent wave of support for the survivor and the expressions of solidarity would translate into real-world actions.
“Beyond the social media reposts, will Malayalam film producers implement POSH guidelines in their companies? Will the Associations and Unions ensure that their women members are given equal opportunity and treated equitably at work? Will our male colleagues remain constant allies by using their privilege and power to make sure that our workplaces are fair, healthy and that women are not marginalised? This is the support we need. The respect we deserve!” the post said.
“Your support validates us and our struggle for progressive, systemic change in the Malayalam film industry. A struggle we have no intention of letting go. We ask that more of you join us to help make things more equitable and sunny for all,” the statement further said.
One of the fights of the WCC has been to get the Hema Commission report published.
In the aftermath of the heinous crime, on July 1, 2017, Kerala’s Department of Cultural Affairs formed a committee to study the issues of gender disparity, sexual harassment, and other issues faced by women in the Malayalam film industry. Many women have submitted testimonies describing their traumatic experiences before the commission. Headed by retired judge Hema, the committee’s report was submitted to the government on December 31, 2019. However, this report has not been made public yet.
The members of WCC have constantly been questioning the delay in the publishing of the report. In response, Justice Hema recently toldThe News Minute that the report has to remain confidential. Noting that this not an attempt to protect perpetrators, she said that the women who spoke to the committee and shared their experiences of harassment were free to disclose the same openly, if they wanted to do so.
During her recent media interaction, Rima asked, “Why is the report not being published? Why is the government not taking it seriously?” She also emphasized the importance of preventing such crimes against women, and the need for grievance redressal mechanisms such as setting up an internal complaint committee in every film set.
Parvathy, in a tweet, also questioned the need for the report to be kept confidential. “All you need to do is redact our names from the statements. But instead of simply doing that, you will make sure that our truth is buried. You are playing with our lives, our livelihood, our mental health,” she said.
For a complete timeline of the female actor abduction and assault case, see here.
Kerala crime branch officials launched a raid at actor Dileep‘s residence ‘Padmasarovaram’ in Aluva on Thursday at around 12 pm, according to The News Minute. The crime branch team launched search operations, after obtaining permission from the Aluva Magistrate court. Dileep is the eighth accused and the alleged mastermind behind the female actor abduction and sexual assault that happened in February 2017.
According to the TNM report, a 20-member team, led by the Superintendent of Police Mohanachandran, conducted the raid at Dileep’s house. The police are also probing to check if Dileep has any visual evidence of the sexual assault inflicted upon the female actor.
A Mathrubhumireport states that Dileep’s house was found locked and the police team had to climb over the gate to enter the premises. After an hour, a relative of the actor reached the spot and unlocked the house for the police to inspect and search it. Additionally, Dileep’s production company’s office and his brother Anoop’s house are also being raided.
Filmmaker Kumar recently released audio clips where the accused actor was allegedly heard planning to kill the investigation officers. The audio clips were aired on the Reporters Live news channel, after which a case was registered, eventually leading up to the raid.
Meanwhile, Dileep has appealed to the Kerala high court seeking anticipatory bail in the new FIR. Dileep’s plea notes that the new case is a “mockery” and the registration of the FIR directly by the Crime Branch, is nothing but “a vindictive and retaliatory act” of Deputy Superintendent of Police Baiju Poulose, Crime Branch.
On Tuesday, when his bail plea came up for hearing, Dileep’s counsel informed the court that senior advocate B Raman Pillai who was supposed to lead the case was unwell. Hence, as per request, Justice Gopinath P postponed the hearing to Friday.
Update: After almost eight hours of searching, mobile phones and computer hard disks were seized from Dileep’s residence, as per The New Indian Express. However, though Balachandra Kumar had told the Crime Branch that Dileep possessed a pistol without a licence, no pistol was found at the actor’s house. The raid was primarily launched to find this weapon. According to the report, Crime Branch ADGP S Sreejith said that the interrogation in the case related to the conspiracy to harm police officers will be completed without delay.
For a full timeline of the female actor abduction and assault case, see here.
Actor and philanthropist Sonu Sood has said that he will not be campaigning for his sister, Malvika Sood Sachar, who recently joined the Indian National Congress. He also added that he has no intention of joining politics himself.
“It is her journey, and I have nothing to do with politics. I will keep doing the work that I have been doing. I won’t be campaigning for her in the elections because I want her to work hard and do her bit. As far as I am concerned, I will always stay away from politics or any political affiliations,” he said during an interview with Times of India.
The actor, however, noted that he is “proud” that his sister has taken the plunge into politics. “She has been living there for the past couple of years and knows the issues that matter to people. I am glad she will be able to be in touch with people and help them directly,” he said.
When wishing her luck on Twitter, too, Sood had stressed that he would continue his philanthropic work without any political affiliations. He had written, “As my sister Malvika Sood embarks on her political journey, I wish her the best and can’t wait to see her flourish in this new chapter of her life. Good luck Malvika! My own work as an actor and humanitarian continues, without any political affiliations or distractions.”
Sood, who has predominantly appeared in Hindi, Telugu, and Tamil cinema, became noted for his philanthropic work when Covid-19 hit India in March 2020. He started by helping thousands of migrant labourers, who were struggling to get back to their hometowns on foot when the sudden nationwide lockdown was announced. He continued his social work through his ‘Sood Charity Foundation’, including providing assistance to students for online classes and organising oxygen cylinders that were in shortage during the second wave of the pandemic. He also helped organise teams of volunteers to aid patients seeking hospital beds across the country.
Prince Andrew, the Duke of York, will now face a civil case in the US after his plea to dismiss the lawsuit filed by Virginia Giuffre against him for allegedly sexually abusing her when she was a minor, was rejected by a New York court, on Wednesday.
Giuffre, one of the accusers of the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, sued Prince Andrew in 2021 on the grounds that he had forced her to have sexual intercourse with him. She 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.”
Andrew not only denied Giuffre’s claims, but also called her grounds “legally insufficient,” and relied on a 2009 agreement between Giuffre and Epstein that settled a different lawsuit.
Earlier this month, a New York court revealed the settlement that showed that Epstein had paid Giuffre $500,000, to drop the case of sexual abuse and sex trafficking against him, without any admission of liability or fault. While Andrew is of the view that the settlement also guarantees him immunity from any liability, the documents don’t explicitly mention his name, according to the court order acquired by BBC. Neither does Giuffre’s complaint mention the settlement. In fact, Giuffre’s attorney had issued a statement, after the settlement was made public, and said that it was “irrelevant” to her claim against Andrew.
Judge Lewis A Kaplan of the US Disctrict Court of New York said that Prince Andrew’s immunity under the settlement in question, was ambiguous and therefore, dismissal of Giuffre’s lawsuit on the same grounds was not justified.
He noted, “In a similar vein and for similar reasons, it is not open to the court now to decide, as a matter of fact, just what the parties to the release in the 2009 settlement agreement signed by Ms Giuffre and Jeffrey Epstein actually meant.”
In July 2019, Epstein was charged with sex trafficking and exploiting several girls and women. Andrew is said to have been linked to Epstein, who had died by suicide in prison in 2019, while awaiting trial.
As per the complaint, Giuffre was a victim of Epstein’s sex-trafficking and abuse from 2000 to 2002, from when she was 16. Epstein kept her as a “sex slave” and forced her to have sex with Andrew at the London home of Ghislaine Maxwell, daughter of late media baron Robert Maxwell, she said in her complaint. Ghislaine, who is also named in Giuffre’s suit, was recently convicted by a New York court for trafficking and sexually abusing underage girls.
Actor Siddharth has been booked by the Cyber Crime Wing of the Hyderabad police for allegedly making derogatory comments on ace shuttler and Olympic medallist Saina Nehwal on Twitter.
Siddharth was recently called out for his response to Nehwal’s tweet about the alleged recent security breach that Prime Minister Narendra Modi encountered in Punjab.
On January 5, Nehwal had tweeted, “No nation can claim itself to be safe if the security of its own PM gets compromised. I condemn, in the strongest words possible, the cowardly attack on PM Modi by anarchists.” She was referring to the incident where Modi’s convoy was reportedly blocked on a flyover in Punjab’s Ferozepur, causing a security breach for a brief period of time.
Retweeting Nehwal’s comment, Siddharth, in a now deleted tweet, wrote, “Subtle cock champion of the world… Thank God we have protectors of India. Shame on you #Rihanna.”
Soon after this, many prominent personalities, including singer and voice artist Chinmayi Sripada as well as BJP leader and actor Khushbu, criticised Siddharth’s tweet. National Commission for Women too called the actor out for his “lewd comment” on Nehwal. The NCW also termed the comment “misogynist and outrageous to the modesty of a woman amounting to disrespect and insult to the dignity of women on social media platforms.” The body further wrote to the Maharashtra and Chennai police urging investigation and the registration of an FIR in the matter. It also called for Twitter to block Siddharth’s account.
As the issue escalated, Siddharth, on Monday, posted a follow-up to his previous tweet to clarify his comment. In this tweet, which has also since been deleted, he wrote, “’COCK & BULL’ That’s the reference. Reading otherwise is unfair and leading! Nothing disrespectful was intended, said or insinuated. Period.”
A day later, Siddharth issued a public apology to Nehwal, stating that his “disappointment or anger” could not justify his “tone and words.”
Nehwal acknowledged Siddharth’s apology and said, “He said something about me first and then apologised. I don’t even know why it went so viral. I was surprised to see myself trending on Twitter. Happy that Siddharth has apologised.”
However, a social activist named Prerna filed a complaint with the Hyderabad police regarding the incident on Wednesday, KVM Prasad, ACP of the Cyber Crime Wing, Hyderabad, told Silverscreen India. “We have booked the actor under Sections 509 of the IPC (insulting the modesty of a woman) and 67 of the Information Technology Act (publishing or transmitting obscene material in electronic form). We will issue a notice to Siddharth to appear and submit his explanation,” he added.
On Tuesday, when the plea came up for hearing, Dileep’s counsel informed the court that senior advocate B Raman Pillai who was supposed to lead the case was unwell. Hence, as per the request, justice Gopinath P posted the matter for hearing on Friday.
According to the report, the actor’s counsel argued that the whole case was hatched up. He noted that even though there is no likelihood of arrest in his opinion, the bail plea was moved as it involves high profile individuals.
“This is a mockery. The trial is almost complete. The Investigating Officer(IO) is to be examined on 29th. On December 25, a person (Balachandra Kumar) comes on TV and says that 4 years and 40 days ago he had come to know that there was a connection between the first accused (in the sexual assault case and the eighth accused (Dileep)… On 29th, IO says he must not be examined as of now,” the counsel for Dileep stated.
The petitioners including Dileep’s brother and brother-in-law claimed that the registration of the FIR, that too directly by the Crime Branch, is nothing but “a vindictive and retaliatory act” of Deputy Superintendent of Police Baiju Poulose, Crime Branch.
They added that the alleged audio clips mentioned in the FIR are a product of fabrication, doctoring and no reliance whatsoever can be placed on it. “The allegation in the FIR would show that it at the most amount to talk between certain individuals and there is no instigation, no meeting of mind or no act which can be even termed as a criminal offence”, the plea said.
“VIP”, one of the accused, could be close to a Kerala minister: Filmmaker Balachandra Kumar
After appearing before the crime branch, filmmaker Balachandra Kumar on Tuesday told the reporters that he has submitted more evidence regarding the new case against actor Dileep.
“I believe one of the five accused in the case termed as “VIP” could be a close to a Kerala Minister. I don’t know the accused. Three to four people have been located. So I think it will be one of them. The accused had said that the police officials should be verbally abused in front of the minister. Only then he would get satisfaction. He is also planning to harm the officials and Pulsar Suni. I call him a VIP because he has influence among people across the fields,” he said.
To a question regarding allegations that his revelations could be fake, Kumar alleged that Dileep and other accused have spoken multiple times about killing the investigation officer and other policemen at many locations and hat it is certainly ‘planned’.
“Dileep has nowhere said that it is not his voice in the audio. Besides, the voices of Dileep’s brother, brother-in-law and Kavya could also be heard in the audio clip. So how can an ordinary someone plot all this artificially?”
To an allegation about Kumar’s association with the investigation officer, the filmmaker challenged Dileep to furnish proof or evidence for the same. He said that mental stress and technical difficulties were the reasons why he took so long to make this revelation public and noted that he will explain things in court. He further noted that there is evidence that shows how one of the witnesses, Sagar, was influenced.
“Even after I made revelations against Dileep, there was an instance where one of the producers close to Dileep had called my friend to inquire about my house and whereabouts. I have informed the police about the same. The investigation is going on.”
“Apart from me, so far many people have seen pulsar Suni at Dileep’s house. They have said that they’d come out to reveal the same in the coming days,” he added.
For a full timeline of the female actor abduction and assault case, see here.
Veteran actor Mihir Das, who worked in the Odia film industry, died at a hospital in Cuttack, Odisha on Tuesday. He was 64.
The award-winning actor had reportedly been dealing with renal ailments for years. He was admitted to a private hospital on Sunday, where he was put on ventilator support before being declared dead.
Born on February 11, 1959, in Mayurbhanj, Odisha, Das had a career spanning four decades during which he starred in over 150 films. He made his first appearance as an actor in an art film titled School Master and later made his commercial cinema debut with Mathura Bijay in 1979.
Das bagged the Odisha government’s best actor award for his performances in Laxmi Pratima (1998) and Pheria Mo Suna Bhauni (2005). Known for his versatile acting, Das also won the best comedian award for his work in Mu Tate Love Karuchhi (2007). He has starred in comic, lead, and supporting roles over the course of his career.
The actor also ventured into politics and joined the Biju Janata Dal party led by the chief minister of Odisha, Naveen Patnaik, in 2014. However, he later left that party and joined the BJP in 2019.
Several prominent personalities condoled the death of the actor on social media. Prime Minister Narendra Modi said, “Saddened by the demise of noted Odia actor Shri Mihir Das Ji. During his long film career, he won many hearts thanks to his creative performances. My thoughts are with his family and admirers.”
Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik tweeted in Odia, “I am saddened to learn of the death of veteran actor Mihir Das. The impression he left behind in the Odia art world will forever immortalize him. His demise is an irreparable loss to the Odia art world. I extend my heartfelt condolences to the bereaved family and wish them well.”
Sand artist and Padma Shri awardee Sudarsan Pattnaik shared his sand art of the late actor and condoled his death on Twitter. “Deeply saddened to know about the unfortunate demise of legendary Odia actor Mihir Das. His contribution to Odia cinema is immense,” he wrote.
The mortal remains of the actor were taken to Satichaura crematorium in Cuttack, where his last rites were conducted. The actor was cremated with full state honours, including a ceremonial guard.
Das was married to the late singer and artist Sangita Das, who died in 2010 of a heart attack. He is survived by his son, actor Amlan Das.
Malvika Sood Sachar, sister of actor-philanthropist Sonu Sood, joined the Indian National Congress party on Monday, ahead of the Punjab assembly polls, which are scheduled to take place in February.
Navjot Singh Sidhu, former cricketer and current president of Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee, termed the development a “game-changer.” He also tweeted, “Proud to be associated with one of the greatest philanthropists of our times, the party feels proud to have them on board.“
“Sonu Sood is known all over the world for his humanity and kindness, and today a member from that family is joining us,” Sidhu further said, while addressing the media.
On Tuesday, Sood took to Twitter to wish his sister luck. “As my sister Malvika Sood embarks on her political journey, I wish her the best and can’t wait to see her flourish in this new chapter of her life. Good luck Malvika! My own work as an actor and humanitarian continues, without any political affiliations or distractions,” he wrote.
The actor, who has predominantly appeared in Hindi, Telugu, and Tamil cinema, became noted for his philanthropic work when Covid-19 hit India in March 2020. He started by helping thousands of migrant labourers, who were struggling to get back to their hometowns on foot, when the sudden nationwide lockdown was announced. He continued his social work through his ‘Sood Charity Foundation’, including providing assistance to students for online classes and organising oxygen cylinders that were in shortage during the second wave of the pandemic. He also helped organise teams of volunteers to aid patients seeking hospital beds across the country.
In September 2020, Arvind Kejriwal had announced that Sood would be the brand ambassador of the Delhi government’s ‘Desh Ke Mentor’ (Country’s Mentor) programme. While the actor accepted the role, he has thus far not hinted at joining politics.
Recently, in November 2021, Sood had announced that his sister would enter politics and would most likely contest in the upcoming Punjab assembly polls, from their home turf in Moga. However, at that time, it was not clear which political party Sachar would join.
“My sister Malvika wants to serve the people of Punjab. She has expressed her wish to contest the Punjab polls next year. She wants to return the love and respect that people have showered on our family always. She is prepared to take this next step and her commitment is unparalleled. Doing sewa is the core value of Punjabiyat, which we siblings have grown up with here. The most basic example of this is serving langar (community kitchen),” Sood had said.
Following the arrest of the four accused in the ‘Bulli Bai’ App case, one of the complainants in the case approached the Mumbai Police Cyber Cell and reported receiving threatening calls. A case has been registered, and further investigation is underway, confirmed Mumbai Police to The Quint.
Police further added that the victim feared that her number had been publicly shared in an attempt to harass and intimidate her. She has filed a non-cognisable case against the unknown persons, connected to the matter.
Recently, on January 1, nearly 112 Muslim women found themselves listed on a fake online auction including actor Shabana Azmi, along with several journalists such as Ismat Ara, Arfa Khanum Sherwani, Fatima Khan and Kashmir-based journalist Quratulain Rehbar. Author Saba Naqvi, poet Nabiya Khan, RJ Sayema, Pakistani Nobel laureate Malala Yousafzai, activist Khalida Parveen, and several other female, Muslim activists who frequently voice their opinions on social media, were also listed.
The ‘Bulli Bai’ App hosted by the GitHub platform uploaded pictures of Muslim women as part of a fake ‘online auction’ along with the caption ‘Bulli of the day’ and their respective Twitter handles.
Both Delhi and Mumbai police arrested four people related to the case in the past week- 18-year-old Shweta Singh from Uttarakhand, 21-year-old engineering student Vishal Kumar Jha from Bangalore, 21-year-old Mayank Rawat, a student of B.Sc Chemistry at Delhi University’s Zakir Hussain College, and 20-year-old Neeraj Bishnoi, a student of B.Tech from Vellore Institute of Technology in Bhopal, alleged to be the main creator and conspirator behind the ‘Bulli Bai’ App.
Jha, who was the first one to be arrested in connection to the case, has tested positive for Covid-19, the Mumbai police informed the court. Following which, he has been sent into judicial custody until January 24 as he was admitted to a Covid Centre, as per a report by the Hindustan Times. He has applied for bail in a Mumbai Metropolitan Magistrate court and the court has scheduled a hearing for the matter, on Thursday.
Jha has applied for bail, based on grounds that the prosecution has failed to produce concrete evidence supporting the allegations made against him in the case. Even after submitting his laptop, mobile phone, and SIM cards to the investigating agency, he has claimed that he is not in a position to tamper with any evidence.
Lata Mangeshkar, the legendary 92-year-old singer, has been admitted to a private hospital in Mumbai, after testing positive for Covid-19.
She was admitted to the Breach Candy hospital in Mumbai on Saturday and is currently undergoing treatment there.
Speaking to Silverscreen India, Dr Partit Samdani, the doctor treating Mangeshkar said that she is currently admitted in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) and is under observation.
“She is 92, has pneumonia and is also Covid-positive, so we have to wait and see. She is in the ICU under observation. The treatment is going on,” he said.
Earlier, in November 2019, the singer was admitted to the same hospital, after being diagnosed with pneumonia. After her return from the hospital, she had taken to Twitter to share updates about her health.
“I was at the Breach Candy Hospital for the last 28 days. I had pneumonia. The doctors wanted for me to recover completely, before going home; today, I am back home. With the blessings of God, Mai Baba, and all of your love and prayers, I feel fine now. I am grateful to all of you, with all my heart,” she wrote.
Mangeshkar began her career in the 1940s as a 13-year-old, entering the film industry as her family’s sole bread earner. In a career spanning over seven decades, the singer has recorded several songs for over a thousand Hindi films, besides other languages including Marathi, Bengali, Tamil, Telugu, and Malayalam. Her first recording was for the 1942 Marathi film Kiti Hasal and her debut in playback singing was for the 1947 Hindi film Aap Ki Seva Mein.
Known as the ‘Melody Queen of India‘, Mangeshkar received the Padma Bhushan in 1969, followed by the Dadasaheb Phalke award in 1989 for her contributions to Indian cinema, and the Padma Vibhushan in 1999. She was also bestowed with the Bharat Ratna, the ‘highest civilian honour’ in India, in 2001 and later went on to receive the ‘Legion of Honour’ award, from the Government of France.
Mangeshkar’s last recorded album was for the 2004 Hindi film Veer-Zaara and her last recorded song was Saugandh Mujhe Is Mitti Ki in 2019, which was a tribute to the Indian army and the nation, among the many other patriotic songs she has recorded, through the course of her career.
Film producer M Muthuraman, who backed Tamil films in the 1970s and 80s, died in the early hours of Tuesday, around 3.30 am. The 83-year-old died due to natural causes.
The late producer entered the Tamil cinema industry in 1961 and began to work as an assistant director under late filmmaker Srinivasan (also known as Muktha Srininavasan). After working with him until 1964, Muthuraman took up the role of a production executive for five years and later began to produce films under his own banner.
He made his debut as a producer with the 1978 Tamil drama Oru Veedu Oru Ulagam. The film starred veteran actors Vijay Babu, Srikanth, Major Sundarrajan, Delhi Ganesh, Surulirajan, Shoba, Pandari Bai, and Manorama, among others. Oru Veedu Oru Ulagam earned its director Durai the Tamil Nadu State Film Award for Best Director that year. The film follows a woman from an orthodox family who falls in love with a teacher outside her community, something that was considered taboo at the time.
Subsequently, Muthuraman and Durai collaborated again on the Tamil films Ayiram Jenmangal and Mayil, which were released in 1978 and 1981, respectively.
Other films backed by Muthuraman include Deiveenga Ragangal (1980) and Raja Mariyathai (1987).
Muthuraman is survived by his wife Sumangali and daughter Anu. The late producer’s final rites are scheduled to take place in T Nagar, Chennai on Tuesday afternoon.
Dileep’s brother Anoop and brother-in-law Suraj, who are also named in the same FIR, sought pre-arrest bail as well. According to the petition filed by the trio, the registration of the FIR was “nothing but a vindictive and retaliatory act of investigation officer Baiju Paulose.” Dileep had earlier initiated criminal contempt of court proceedings against Deputy Superintendent Paulose, who was leading the inquiry in the actor assault case and was one of the officers targetted by the alleged conspiracy.
The new FIR against Dileep and five others was filed based on audio clips released by filmmaker Balachandra Kumar, who claims to be a former friend of Dileep. In these clips, which were shared on the Reporters Live news channel, the accused can allegedly be heard planning to kill the investigation officers in the actor assault case.
However, in their bail plea, the accused claim that the allegations are “a product of fabrication and doctoring.” They argue that the case was registered only to take them into custody and to harass and humiliate them before the public.
Investigation sources told The Hindu that the crime branch is preparing to effectively oppose the bail plea of the actor and his associates. “Whenever his plea comes up before the court, we will be ready with the counter,” they said.
Meanwhile, an audio clip of a conversation supposedly between Pulsar Suni, the prime accused, and his former prison mate, Jinson, has emerged which implicates Dileep and lends credence to Balanchandra Kumar’s allegations. It is notable that Jinson earlier shared a jail cell with Suni and the conversations the duo had at that time helped the crime branch expose Dileep’s alleged role in the case.
The new clip is reportedly from a phone call made from Kakkanad prison. In it, Suni asks Jinson about the latest information on the case and the latter tells him about the revelations by Balanchandra Kumar and asks whether Suni knew him. Suni then admits to having seen him two or three times both at Dileep’s house and a hotel.
This audio clip comes in the wake of recent revelations made by Balachandra Kumar that led to a fresh probe into the actor assault case and will likely be a significant aspect for the Special Investigation Team (SIT) to look into.
The SIT is expected to submit a report before the Ernakulam Additional Special Sessions Judge Honey M Varghese by January 20, when the case comes up for hearing next.
For a full timeline of the female actor abduction and assault case, see here.
Justice delayed is justice denied. It has been almost five years since a Malayalam female actor was abducted and sexually assaulted in a moving car in Kochi. As of today, the trial is still underway, with hundreds of witnesses examined and several major arrests. Accusations and revelations are still being made.
At the end of 2021, the case gained momentum again with some serious allegations levelled against actor Dileep – one of the accused – by filmmaker Balachandra Kumar, who claims to be the actor’s former friend. Following this, a fresh probe was ordered and a new investigative team has been appointed by the Kerala government.
We give you here a timeline of the major events related to the case over the past five years:
2017
February 17: A female actor who predominantly works in Malayalam and Kannada cinema is abducted and sexually assaulted in a moving car by a gang of men while en route to Kochi from Thrissur. She files a police complaint on the same day and an FIR is registered.
February 18: The actor’s driver, Martin Antony, is arrested, followed by the arrest of two others, namely Vadivel Salim and Pradeep. Upon interrogation, it is found that the crime was planned by the actor’s former driver, Pulsar Suni.
February 23: Pulsar Suni is taken into police custody just as he is going to surrender before the additional chief judicial magistrate in Ernakulam.
April 18: Police file the first charge sheet in the case against Pulsar Suni and six other accused.
May 18: A group of female artists and technicians from the Malayalam film industry, including actors Manju Warrier, Parvathy Thiruvothu, Rima Kallingal, Geethu Mohandas, and editor Bina Paul, announce the formation of Women in Cinema Collective (WCC), an organisation for women working in Malayalam cinema. They meet Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and raise concerns about problems faced by women in the film industry. The WCC also begins a social media campaign called Avalodoppam (With Her), in solidarity with the survivor.
Members of Women in Cinema Collective with CM Pinarayi Vijayan
June 24: A letter supposedly written by Suni from Kakkanad jail to Dileep is leaked. This brings the case back into the limelight. Following this, the actor and his close friend, filmmaker Nardishah, tell the media that they were blackmailedby an aide of Suni for Rs 1.5 crore.
June 26: In an interview with a news outlet, Dileep alleges that the victim was friends with the main accused, Pulsar Suni, and adds that one should be extremely careful while choosing friends.
June 27: The survivor slams Dileep for defaming her in the interview and warns of legal action for spreading baseless rumours about her.
June 28: Police record the statementsof Dileep and Nadirshah. Meanwhile, the Association of Malayalam Movie Artistes (AMMA) extends unanimous supportto Dileep.
July 6: During an interrogation, Suni confessesthat he had contacted Nadirshah and Dileep’s manager, Appunni, from Kakkanad jail, Kochi.
July 10: Dileep is arrested for allegedly orchestrating the abduction and sexual assault of the female actor. The remand report notes that Dileep offered Rs 2 crore to the prime accused, Pulsar Suni, to attack the female actor and shoot a video of her. While Dileep had initially told the police that he never met Suni, the police investigation reveals that the two knew each other from at least 2013.
July 11: Following his arrest, Dileep is sent to Aluva sub-jail. AMMA sacksDileep from the post of treasurer and expels him from the association as well.
July 13: The survivor, in a press release, saysthat she had no business dealings with Dileep. She adds that their friendship had gone awry and that his arrest shocked her, too.
July 31: Dileep’s manager Apunni, who absconded soon after the actor’s arrest, finally appears for questioning at the Aluva Police club.
August 2: Police questions Madhu Warrier, brother of Dileep’s ex-wife Manju Warrier.
August 30: Suni, while being escorted by police to court, tells reporters that Kavya Madhavan, actor and wife of Dileep, was the “madam” that the accused had taken instructions from.
September 2: The court in Kochi allowsDileep a two-hour break from jail to take part in his father’s remembrance day prayers on September 6.
Actor Dileep in custody
September 27: The prosecution informs the Kerala High Court that Dileep offered Rs 3 crore for the abduction of the female actor in February.
September 28, Amidst calls for a boycott, Dileep’s film Ramaleela releases in theatres.
October 3: After 85 days in jail, Dileep is granted bailby the Kerala High Court based on his fifth plea overall and the third before the HC. The actors’ fans and friends crowd the premises of the prison to welcome him.
November 1: Women in Cinema Collective is registered as a society in Kerala.
2018
June 24: After actor Mohanlal takes charge as AMMA’s new president, one of the first decisions of the new leadership is torevoke the suspensionof Dileep. WCC protests through Facebook.
June 28: Four members of WCC – actors Rima Kallingal, Geetu Mohandas, Remya Nambeesan, and the survivor – resign from AMMA. The artists declare that they will continue fighting for justice outside AMMA.
December 19: The Kerala High Court rejects Dileep’s plea seeking a CBI investigation into the case. The actor, who is the eighth accused in the case, had claimed in his plea that he was being framed in the case by the Kerala police.
2019
February 25: In view of a plea from the survivor, the Kerala High Court allows a woman judge to preside over the case. Justice Raja Vijayaraghavan allocates the case to CBI special court judge Honey M Varghese.
March 7: The Kerala HC slamsactor Dileep for trying to delay trial proceedings in the actor assault case. This is in response to his plea against the court’s order to complete the trial in six months.
April 9: The Kerala government informs the Supreme Court that it will not frame charges against Dileep until the court disposes ofthe actor’s petition for a copy of the visuals of the assault.
May 3: The Supreme Court staysthe trial against Dileep in the Malayalam actor assault case to decide on his plea for a copy of the visuals. The order is issued after the Kerala government asks for more time to present its argument that the memory card containing video footage of the alleged assault is evidence in the case and not a document that can be handed over to the accused.
November 29: The Supreme Court rejectsDileep’s plea to access the memory card containing video clippings of the assault due to the privacy and safety concerns of the survivor. However, he is allowed to inspect the visuals.
2020
January 4: The trial court dismisses Dileep’s petition seeking a discharge in the actor abduction case.
February 27: Actor Manju Warrier is cross-examined by former husband Dileep’s counsel.
March 9: Actor Bindu Panicker turns a hostile witness during examination in court. Earlier, Idavela Babu, AMMA’s general secretary, had also given contradictory statements during his examination the prior week.
September 17: Actors and witnesses, Siddique and Bhama, turn hostile.
October 28: The survivor moves the Kerala High Court seeking a transfer of the trial to another court, complaining that she was treated with hostility during the hearing of the case.
November 20: Kerala High Court refusesto transfer the case to another court.
November 23: A Sureshan, the special public prosecutor in the actor abduction and sexual assault case, resignsfollowing the High Court’s refusal to transfer the trial.
December 1: After the Kerala HC refuses to transfer the case, the Kerala government moves the Supreme Court by filinga Special Leave Petition. The SC later rejects the State’s plea and upholds the decision of the HC.
2021
January 21: After three months of hiatus, the trial of the case resumes at Additional Special Sessions Court in Ernakulam. However, it comes to a halt after accused-turned-approver Vipin Lal failsto turn up at court.
February 25: The court rejectsthe prosecution’s petition to cancel the bail granted to Dileep. The petition had requested the cancellation of Dileep’s bail because he tried to influence some of the witnesses in the case.
March 1: The Supreme Court gives the Ernakulam Addition Special Sessions Court an extension of six months to complete the trial.
August 10: Actor Kavya Madhavan, the wife of actor Dileep, appearsbefore the Ernakulam Additional Special Sessions Court and is questioned.
August 16: The Supreme Court gives the Ernakulam Addition Special Sessions Court yet another extension of six monthsto complete the trial.
November 15: The Kerala High Court grantsbail to Manikandan, the third accused in the case.
December 25: Filmmaker Balachandra Kumar, who claims to be a former friend of Dileep, alleges in a media interactionthat Dileep had watched the video of the sexual assault at his house. He also says the actor knew Pulsar Suni and that Dileep influenced some of the significant witnesses in the case, who later turned hostile during the trial. Balachandra Kumar also submits a complaint to the chief minister and the chief of police.
December 28: The Kerala High Court seeks a responsefrom actor Dileep and the other accused on two separate petitions from the prosecution. One petition is regarding the state government’s appeal against the trial court’s orders declining the plea to summon further witnesses in the case and the other is about getting certified copies of the call records of the accused.
WCC’s Instagram post
December 29: WCC, through social media, seeks the intervention of the Kerala CM for a thorough investigation and a fair trial. The body also asks if the law and order machinery of the state has acknowledged Balachandra Kumar’s testimony against the accused and questions why the mainstream media is not giving adequate attention to this matter.
December 30: Special Public Prosecutor VN Anilkumar resigns. While the reason for his resignation is unclear, reports cite an argument with the judge the previous day.
2022
January: The survivor writes to the CM seeking further investigation in the case in view of the recent revelations made by director Balachandra Kumar. She urges the CM to appoint an able SPP to take her case forward. Vanitha Magazine, a popular Malayalam women’s magazine, faces backlash on social media for featuring actor Dileep and his family in its January issue cover story. The interview in its entirety seems to be an attempt at whitewashing the Janapriya Nayakan’s accused image.
January 4: Police submits Balachandra Kumar’s statement to the Ernakulam Additional Special Sessions Court. The court directs the Special Investigation Team (SIT) to further investigate and file a report by January 20.
January 7: Kerala High Court asks the prosecution how filmmaker Balachandra Kumar’s revelations about Dileep would help them in the trial and adds that adequate reasons are needed to recall and re-examine the witnesses.
January 9: The Kerala Crime Branch files a new FIR against Dileep and five others for allegedly conspiring to kill the officers who investigated his involvement in the female actor abduction and sexual assault case. The new case is registered following the release of audio clips implicating the accused by Balachandra Kumar. A new investigation team – including members of the previous team who were allegedly plotted against by Dileep and his associates – is formed by the Kerala government to probe the case in view of these developments.
January 10: Breaking her long silence, the female actor who was abducted and sexually assaulted in February 2017 publicly opens up for the first time, through her official social media account. In the Instagram post, the survivor extends her gratitude to all those who have supported her. Her post is reshared by many artists in the industry, including Mammootty and Mohanlal.
That same day, Dileep files for anticipatory bail at the Kerala High Court in the new FIR against him for allegedly conspiring to kill the investigating officers.
January 11: The bail plea comes up for hearing, but Dileep’s counsel informs the court that senior advocate B Raman Pillai, who was supposed to lead the case, is unwell. The court thus adjourns the matter to January 14 and orders that no action be taken against the actor till then.
January 12: Urging for consequential action, WCC puts out a statement questioning how the recent wave of support for the survivor and the expressions of solidarity will translate into real-world actions and systemic change.
January 13: The Kerala crime branch launches a raid of actor Dileep’s residence in Aluva, his production company’s office and his brother’s Anoop’s house to search for an unlicensed pistol that Balachandra Kumar said the actor had. After almost eight hours of the raid, officials seize mobile phones and computer hard disks. No pistol was found.
January 14: Dileep’s bail plea comes up for hearing. Justice Gopinath P states that he wants to see the statements made by filmmaker Balachandra Kumar, to understand his allegations against Dileep before passing an order on the actor’s petition. He posts the hearing on January 18 and adds that until then no action be taken against him.
January 16: Kerala Women’s Commission Chairperson Sathidevi indicates that the Hema committee report is not bound to be brought up before the state assembly for debate as the committee had not been set up under the commission of Inquiry Act. Her statement follows a meeting with members of the Women in Cinema Collective (WCC), including actors Parvathy Thiruvothu, Padmapriya, filmmakers Anjali Menon, Didi Damodaran, and playback singer Sayanora, at the government guest house in Kozhikode.
January 17: Actor Dileep approaches the Kerala High Court on Monday seeking to restrict media coverage of the trial. The same day, HC allows re-examination of three witnesses and summoning five additional witnesses in the case relating to the sexual assault case.
January 18: Based on Dileep’s plea seeking to restrict media coverage, the court orders the police to enquire into the allegations and submit a report in two weeks.
January 21: The Kerala High Court decides to hear actor Dileep’s anticipatory bail plea in the physical courtroom on Saturday (January 22).
January 22: The Kerala High Court grants actor Dileep and his associates’ interim protection from arrest till January 27, while hearing their anticipatory bail pleas in the conspiracy to murder case. The court also orders the accused to appear before the state police for questioning for three days (January 23, 24 and 25, between 9 am to 8 pm).
January 24: The Supreme Court refuses to pass an order on the Kerala government’s plea, which requested an extension for completing the trial against Malayalam actor Dileep.
January 25: The Kerala High Court provides the prosecution 10 more days, to examine the additional witnesses summoned, in connection to the assault case.
January 27: The Kerala High Court adjourns actor Dileep’s anticipatory bail plea hearing on February 2, after Director General of Prosecution TA Shaji informed the court that the examination of digital evidence was yet to be completed.
January 29: The Kerala High Court orders actor Dileep and the five others accused of conspiring to kill the officers who investigated the 2017 female actor abduction and assault case, to surrender their mobile phones to the HC registry by January 31.
January 31: Dileep and the other accused submit their mobile phones.
Following actor Dileep’s complaint, Kerala police register five FIRs against the Malayalam news channel Reporter TV and its head Nikesh Kumar for reporting on the female actor abduction and sexual assault case.
February 1: Crime branch raids Actor Dileep’s flat at Ravipuram in Kochi. On the same day, as per the Kerala HC’s direction, the Judicial First Class Magistrate Court in Aluva receives the six mobile phones of Dileep and the other accused.
February 5: The female Malayalam actor who was abducted and sexually assaulted in 2017, moves the Supreme Court seeking a probe into the alleged leaking of crime visuals from a lower court in the past.
February 7: The Kerala High Court grants anticipatory bail to actor Dileep and the other accused in the conspiracy to murder case filed against them.
A week after that, Dileep moves the Kerala High Court seeking to quash the FIR filed against him for allegedly conspiring to kill the police officials who investigated his role in the female actor abduction and assault case.
February 15: The female Malayalam actor who was abducted and sexually assaulted in 2017, request to be heard by the Kerala High Court before it passes judgement on actor Dileep’s plea to suspend further investigation in the case. In his plea which was filed earlier, Dileep argues that further probe into the case should not be permitted as the final report had already been filed in November 2017, with the charges framed in January 2020. Further, only one prosecution witness, the investigating officer, was left to be examined, his petition noted.
February 21: The female Malayalam actor who was abducted and sexually assaulted in 2017, moves the Kerala High Court, opposing actor Dileep’s recent petition that seeks to halt the further investigation in the case.
March 3: In a report filed before the Additional Special Sessions Court, in the female actor abduction and sexual assault case, the prosecution says that a memory card containing visuals of the sexual assault, which was in court custody, was accessed illegally.
March 8: The Kerala High Court dismisses actor Dileep’s plea seeking to suspend further investigation in the 2017 female actor abduction and assault case.
Actor Dileep, who allegedly conspired to kill the police officers probing the 2017 female actor abduction and sexual assault case, had tampered with the mobile phones submitted as evidence to the Kerala High Court registry, according to a forensic report by the Kerala police.
March 17: The Kerala High Court refuses to stay the probe against actor Dileep for allegedly conspiring to kill the police officers who investigated their role in the 2017 Female actor abduction and assault case.
March 19: Investigation reveals that a cyber expert named Sai Sankar had helped the accused in deleting data from the phones that were later submitted to the court.
March 28: The crime branch interrogates actor Dileep for seven hours at the police club in Aluva. He says that Kumar came up with such baseless allegations after he did not fall into the filmmaker’s blackmail trap.
March 29: Dileep’s interrogation as part of the fresh probe into the actor assault case continues for the second consecutive day. He continues to hold that he had no friendship with Kumar and also dismisses the allegations raised against him. The probe team calls Kumar and the actor is questioned in his presence.
April: The survivor re-submits her complaint to the bar council of Kerala alleging professional misconduct on the part of Dileep’s lawyers.
April 8: Cyber expert Sai Sankar, who helped actor Dileep in removing data from his mobile phones, surrenders to the crime branch and confesses to helping the actor in tampering with evidence.
April 10: Manju Warrier, the Malayalam actor and former wife of actor Dileep, identifies his voice as well as those of the other accused in the 2017 assault case in the audio clips released by filmmaker Balachandra Kumar.
April 18: The police investigating the assault case urge the Additional Special Sessions Court to seek an explanation from Dileep, the alleged chief conspirator in the case, regarding confidential court documents found on his mobile phone.
April 19: The Kerala High Court dismisses a plea filed by actor Dileep seeking to quash an FIR registered against him for allegedly conspiring to murder police officials investigating the assault case.
April 26: Ernakulam Additional Special Sessions Court rules that there was no leak of evidence from the court in the assault case.
May 9: The interrogation of actor Kavya Madhavan, wife of Dileep, takes place at her residence in Aluva. Earlier, when she was asked to appear at the Aluva police club for the interrogation, she insisted that it should take place at her Padmasarovaram residence in Aluva. Hence there was a delay as the police officials were in a dilemma about where to conduct the interrogation.
(This is an ongoing story that is periodically updated)
On Monday, the National Commission for Women (NCW) strongly condemned a tweet with a “lewd comment” from actor Siddharth, in his response to sportsperson and ace badminton player Saina Nehwal’s tweet, on a recent security breach faced by Prime Minister Modi in Punjab.
NCW also said that it has written to the India wing of the social media platform, asking to block the actor’s account and take action against him, for his sexually coloured comment. This was released, after NCW India’s chairperson Rekha Sharma called out the actor by tweeting, “This man needs a lesson or two. @TwitterIndia why this person’s account still exists?..taking it up with Concerned police.”
It all started on Wednesday, when Nehwal, tweeted, “No nation can claim itself to be safe if the security of its own PM gets compromised. I condemn, in the strongest words possible, the cowardly attack on PM Modi by anarchists.” She was referring to a recent incident where Modi’s convoy was blocked on a flyover in Punjab’s Ferozepur, causing a security breach for a brief period of time.
Retweeting Nehwal’s earlier comment, Siddharth, on Thursday, wrote, “Subtle cock champion of the world… Thank God we have protectors of India. Folded hands. Shame on you #Rihanna”. It is to be noted that in February 2021, pop icon Rihanna had tweeted about the Punjab farmers’ protests on farm bills, which triggered global attention on the issue.
Screenshot of Siddharth’s tweet to Nehwal along with his clarification tweet posted as thread
Soon after Siddharth’s tweet, many prominent personalities and social media users voiced against the actor’s choice of words and language, which had hints of sexual innuendos. Singer Chinmayi Sripadareplied to him, “This is really crass, Siddharth. You just contributed to what a lot of us women are fighting against.”
BJP leader and actor Khushbu criticised the tweet, saying, “Sid you are a friend but definitely wasn’t expecting this from you. It’s very crass. I am sure Uncle n Aunty wouldn’t be proud of you. Don’t get carried with your hatred towards an individual.”
Subsequently, NCW, acknowledging the issue, said that it has written to the Maharashtra police “for investigating & registering FIR in the matter”. Also writing to Twitter India, NCW urged for “blocking the actor’s account & to take appropriate action against him for posting such remarks”.
In its letter, addressed to both Maharashtra and Chennai Police, it said, “The National Commission for Women has come across a Twitter post of an Indian actor named Siddharth using lewd comment on the Twitter post of Ms Saina Nehwal. The comment is misogynist and outrageous to the modesty of a woman amounting to disrespect and insult to the dignity of women on social media platforms.”
Additionally, the letter requested the police to immediately look into the matter, register an FIR, and take stringent actions against people using “indecent language for women on social media”.
While the issue escalated, on Monday afternoon, Siddharth, in a follow-up to his previous tweet, took a chance to clarify his comment. He wrote, “”COCK & BULL” That’s the reference. Reading otherwise is unfair and leading! Nothing disrespectful was intended, said or insinuated. Period.”
Meanwhile, talking to News18, Nehwal said, “Ya I’m not sure what he meant. I used to like him as an actor but this was not nice. He can express himself with better words but I guess it’s Twitter n u remain noticed with such words n comments.”
The discovery of evidence in the ‘Bulli Bai’ App case helped Delhi Police arrest a Madhya Pradesh man, alleged to write codes for the ‘Sulli Deals’ case from 2020. On Sunday, a Delhi court sent him into police custody for four days, police said to ANI.
The Intelligence Fusion and Strategic Operations (IFSO) of Delhi Police Special Cell detained 26-year-old Aumkareshwar Thakur from Indore on Sunday, in connection with the ‘Sulli Deals’ case.
In July 2020, nearly 80 Muslim women were listed “for sale”, on a fake online auction, known as “Sulli Deals“, also hosted by GitHub. “Sulli” is a derogatory term used by Hindu men against Muslim women. The Delhi Police had registered a First Information Report, after the Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) and the National Commission for Women (NCW) had called for an investigation but no concrete action had been taken, at the time.
On January 1, nearly 112 Muslim women found themselves listed on a similar online auction on an app named ‘Bulli Bai’ including actor Shabana Azmi along with several journalists such as Ismat Ara, Arfa Khanum Sherwani, Fatima Khan, and Kashmir-based journalist Quratulain Rehbar. Author Saba Naqvi, poet Nabiya Khan, RJ Sayema, Pakistani Nobel laureate Malala Yousafzai, activist Khalida Parveen and several other female Muslim activists who frequently voice their opinions on social media, were also listed. The app put up pictures of Muslim women as part of a fake ‘online auction’ along with the caption ‘Bulli of the day’ and their Twitter handles.
But, this time, the Delhi police and the Mumbai police registered the cases and began to investigate, further. The Delhi Police also sought information from Twitter and the hosting platform GitHub, used by both the apps, about the app as well as its developer.
Both Delhi and Mumbai police also arrested four people related to the case in the past week- 18-year-old Shweta Singh from Uttarakhand, 21-year-old engineering student Vishal Kumar from Bangalore, 21-year-old Mayank Rawat, a student of B.Sc Chemistry at Delhi University’s Zakir Hussain College, and 20-year-old Neeraj Bishnoi, a student of B.Tech from Vellore Institute of Technology in Bhopal, alleged to be the main creator and conspirator behind the ‘Bulli Bai’ App.
The Delhi police have reportedly found that Bishnoi had 153 downloads of pornography and lewd, sexual content, on his laptop. Evidence also points out to him as a “porn addict” who “has abnormal desires towards elderly Muslim women”.
During the interrogation session with Bishnoi, the Delhi Police’s IFSO found proof, which aided them in arresting Thakur. “He is being interrogated&his laptop is under forensic examination,” said Delhi Police DCP(IFSO) KPS Malhotra to ANI.
Bob Saget, the American actor and stand-up comedian, known for his role as Danny Tanner in the ABC series Full House, was found dead in his hotel room, on Sunday. He was 65.
Associated Pressreported that Saget was staying at the Ritz-Carlton hotel in Orlando, as part of his I Don’t Do Negative Comedy Tour. Deputies of Orange County, Florida were informed about an “unresponsive man” in a room, who was later identified as Saget. The detectives found “no signs of foul play or drug use in this case.”
Saget was born in 1956, Philadelphia, to a Jewish family. He attended Temple University’s film school, where he created a black and white film Through Adam’s Eyes, and was honoured at the Student Academy Awards.
He left college but stayed in Los Angeles to continue with stand-up comedy, and a few minor roles later, landed a spot in ABC’s Full House that ran successfully from 1987 to 1995. Saget played the role of Danny Tanner, a widower and loving father to three daughters. He also appeared in some episodes of the sitcom’s sequel, Fuller House, which aired between 2016-2020, and voiced the narrator in the popular CBS sitcom, How I Met Your Mother.
Alongside Full House, Saget also hosted the series, America’s Funniest Home Videos.
Apart from acting and hosting, he also dabbled in direction, having helmed the 1998 Norm Macdonald-starrer Dirty Work, and Farce of the Penguins in 2007, among others. According to the AP report, he truly garnered praise, as the producer-director of the 1996 television film For Hope. It is loosely based on his late sister Gay, and her battle with the tissue disease scleroderma, and had appealed for increased federal support, for research funds.
Several former colleagues took to social media, in remembrance of Saget and condoled his sudden death.
How I Met Your Mother cast member Josh Radnor, in a Twitter post, said “Bob Saget was the older wiser ‘me’ for nine years on How I Met Your Mother. He was the kindest, loveliest, funniest, most supportive man, and the easiest person to be around.” He also shared memories from the sets of the show, that went on for nine seasons at CBS channel.
Kat Dennings, who co-starrred with Saget in the sitcom Raising Dad, wrote, “Oh god. Bob Saget!!! The loveliest man. I was his TV daughter for one season and he was always so kind and protective. So so sorry for his family.”
Norman Lear shared a photo with the actor, shared on Twitter, “Bob Saget was as lovely a human as he was funny. And to my mind, he was hilarious. We were close friends and I could not have loved him more.”
Saget is survived by daughters Aubrey, Lara, and Jennifer from his first wife Sherri Kramer, before separating in 1997. He married Kelly Rizzo in 2018.
UPDATE: Saget’s family revealed, on February 9, that the actor died due to a head trauma. “The authorities have determined that Bob passed from head trauma. They have concluded that he accidentally hit the back of his head on something, thought nothing of it and went to sleep. No drugs or alcohol were involved,” read the statement acquired by Variety.
Breaking the silence, the female actor who was abducted and sexually assaulted in February 2017 has publicly opened up for the first time, through her official social media account. In the Instagram post, the survivor extended her gratitude to all those who have supported her.
The actor’s earlier statements were made through the official page of Women In Cinema Collective (WCC), an organisation dedicated to women working in the Malayalam film industry.
Posting a statement directly from her personal account, it read, “This has not been an easy journey. The journey from being a victim to becoming a survivor. For 5 years now, my name and my identity have been suppressed under the weight of the assault inflicted on me.”
She adds, “Though I am not the one who has committed the crime, there have been many attempts to humiliate, silence and isolate me. But at such times I have had some who stepped forward to keep my voice alive. Now when I hear so many voices speak up for me I know that I am not alone in this fight for justice.”
“Now I hear so many voices speak up for me I know that I am not alone in this fight for justice. To see justice prevail, to get wrongdoers punished and to ensure no one else goes through such an ordeal again, I shall continue this journey. For all those who are standing with me- a heartfelt thank you for your love,” she concluded.
The survivor’s statement was made, following some major groundbreaking developments in the case. While the five-long year case was headed towards closure, in December 2021, filmmaker Balachandra Kumar made some revelations, which gave room to the beginning of a new probe, initiated by Kerala police.
Kumar, who claimed to be a former friend of Dileep, said that the actor had watched the video of the sexual assault at his house and knew Pulsar Suni, the other accused. He had also influenced some of the significant witnesses in the case, who had turned hostile during the trial.
Dileep stands as the eighth accused in the case, where a female Malayalam actor was abducted and sexually assaulted in a moving car in Kochi, in February 2017.
The FIR also names Dileep’s associates – brother Anoop, brother-in-law Suraj, Appu, Baiju Chengamanadu, and another unidentified person – who were involved in this alleged conspiracy. The six of them have been booked under IPC sections 116 (abetment of offence punishable with imprisonment), 118 (concealing design to commit offence punishable with death or imprisonment for life), 120B (criminal conspiracy), 506 (criminal intimidation), and 34 (criminal act done by several people).
Filmmaker Balachandra Kumar recently released audio clips in which the accused can allegedly be heard planning to kill the investigation officers. The audio clips were aired on the Reporters Live news channel, following which the case was registered.
In one audio clip, a voice, said to be that of Dileep, can be heard saying that the five police officials who were investigating the case would be “dealt with.” In another clip, a person talks about running a truck over Deputy Superintendent Baiju Paulose, who was leading the inquiry in the actor abduction case. The accused reportedly charted out the murder plan on November 15, 2017, at Dileep’s residence in Kottarakadavu, Aluva.
A new investigation team has been formed by the Kerala government to probe the case in view of these developments. Additional Director General of Police Sreejith will head this team, which will also include Inspector General KP Philp of the Crime Branch and the Station House Officer of Nedumbassery. Baiju Paulose and officers Sudarshan and Sojan, who were among the targets allegedly named by Dileep and his associates, will continue as part of the investigation team.
Dileep is the eighth accused in the case in which a female Malayalam actor was abducted and sexually assaulted in a moving car in Kochi in February 2017.
Recently, filmmaker Balachandra Kumar, who claims to be a former friend of Dileep, said that the actor had watched the video of the sexual assault at his house; knew Pulsar Suni, the other accused; and also influenced some of the significant witnesses in the case, who turned hostile during the trial. These revelations led to the launch of a new probe by the Kerala police.
Telugu actor and producer Ramesh Babu, who is part of the Ghattamaneni family, died on Saturday after battling a prolonged illness. He was 56.
According to a report by the Indian Express, the late actor was admitted to AIG hospital in Hyderabad in an unconscious state on Saturday evening where he breathed his last.
In an official press statement, the actor’s family condoled his death and requested fans and well-wishers to adhere to Covid-19 protocols at the cremation site. “In light of the current circumstances, we request all our well-wishers to adhere to the Covid-19 norms and avoid gathering at the cremation venue.”
Ramesh Babu made his acting debut in 1974 as a child artist in the Telugu film Alluri Sitaramaraju alongside his father, veteran actor Krishna. He went on to star in several Telugu in the 1980s and 1990s including Bazaar Rowdy and Mugguru Kodukulu, where he shared screen space with his younger brother Mahesh Babu. He also acted in the Tamil film Shanti Enathu Shanti directed by T Rajendar.
Eventually, he retired from acting and began to produce films. According to a report by Deccan Herald, he turned executive producer for the director E V V Satyanarayana’s 1999 film Sooryavansham starring Amitabh Bachchan and Soundarya in the lead.
Later, Ramesh Babu began to collaborate with Mahesh Babu and produced several of the actor’s films including Arjun (2004) and Athidhi (2007). He also presented some of Mahesh Babu’s more recent movies such as Aagudu (2014) and Dookudu(2011).
Actor Chiranjeeviwrote on Twitter, “Shocked and deeply saddened by the demise of Shri.G.Ramesh babu. My heartfelt condolences to Shri.Krishna garu Mahesh Babu, and all the family members. May the Almighty give strength to the family to cope with the tragic loss.”
Dookudu director Sreenu Vaitla tweeted, “Got shocked and deeply saddened by the unfortunate demise of Ramesh Babu garu. I have beautiful memories with him and every time I interacted with him, I felt like I was with my favourite Krishna garu. Ramesh Babu garu also had the same great qualities of humility and concern.”
The last rites of Ramesh Babu will take place on January 9. However, it is unclear whether Mahesh Babu will attend as he announced that he tested positive for Covid-19 on Thursday.
Oprah Winfrey and Apple TV are presenting a documentary on late actor Sideny Poitier, who created history by becoming the first Black person to win an Academy Award for Best Actor, according toThe Hollywood Reporter.
While it will be an Apple Original film, the American talk show host, actor, and author will executive produce the project under her banners Harpo Productions and Network Entertainment. The untitled film will be directed by Reginald Hudling, who helmed the 2019 documentary The Black Godfather, and Chadwick Boseman-starrer 2017 biographical drama Marshall.
The Bahamian-American actor died on Friday night, at the age of 94.
The documentary has been in production for a year now, with the participation of the Poitier family, according to the THR report.
According to The New York Times, the actor’s death was announced on Friday by the ministry of foreign affairs of the Bahamas, Fred Mitchell. However, the cause of death was not mentioned.
Poitier was born on February 20, 1927, to Bahamian farmer parents who would travel to Miami, US, to sell tomatoes. It is there, that he secured a US citizenship.
Known for his ground-breaking roles, which represented his race, he earned his first Oscar nomination in 1958 for his work in The Defiant Ones, which itself was considered a huge feat for a Black man, just to be considered for an award in the lead role, at the time. Keeping up his contributions to the Black community, Poitier won the Academy Award for his film, Lilies Of the Field in 1963. He became the first Black person to win the award, under the category of ‘best actor’. In the film, he played the role of a handyman, who helps a group of East German nuns, build a chapel in the Arizona desert.
Even when racism was at its peak in the US, Poitier appeared in three American films with strong Black characters, namely, Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner, In the Heat of the Night, and To Sir, With Love.
He was conferred the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest US civilian honour, by former US President Barack Obama in 2009.
Several public figures condoled his death.
Winfrey wrote on Twitter, “For me, the greatest of the “Great Trees” has fallen: Sidney Poitier. My honor to have loved him as a mentor. Friend. Brother. Confidant. Wisdom teacher. The utmost, highest regard and praise for his most magnificent, gracious, eloquent life. I treasured him. I adored him. He had an enormous soul I will forever cherish.”
The National Commission for Women (NCW) has asked Jawed Habib, the Indian hairstylist and businessman, to appear before its council on January 11, regarding a viral video of him allegedly spitting into a woman’s hair, ANIreported.
As soon as the video went viral on Wednesday, the NCW strongly acknowledged the issue and wrote to the state DGP on Thursday, to immediately look into the veracity of the video and take necessary actions against it. The commission also wrote to the Delhi Commissioner of Police Rakesh Asthana, urging the same. As per the ANIreport, it would send out a notice to Habib, as well.
On Thursday, a video went viral, where Habib was seen spitting into a beauty parlour owner Pooja Gupta’s hair during a seminar, while giving instructions on “how to cut one’s hair, when there is a lack of water”.
Hailing from Baraut in Uttar Pradesh, Gupta, later in a video recalled the incident, saying she had gone to attend Habib’s seminar in Muzaffarnagar, organised by WonderSoft, on Monday.
“I was asking him questions, during the seminar but there were no responses from him. Instead, he asked me to quietly sit down, and said ‘you (Gupta) run one parlour, while I (Habib) own 900 of them’. After lunch, he called me on stage, to demonstrate hair cuts. First, he pushed my head with force, to which I immediately objected. Then, while cutting my hair, he spat twice in it saying that if there is a lack of water in the parlour, you can cut your customer’s hair with your saliva, as well.” she narrated.
Based on Gupta’s complaint, Habib has been booked under sections relating to assault or criminal force with intent to dishonour a person of the Indian Penal Code and the Epidemic Diseases Act, 1897.
A police case has also been registered against Habib, under sections 355 (assault), 504 (insult) of IPC, and relevant sections of the Epidemic Act, said Rakesh Kumar, CO, Khatauli, Muzaffarnagar, to ANI.
Apologising for the incident on social media, Habib said, “I’d just like to say one thing. These are professional workshops, attended by people from within our profession. As these sessions tend to get very long, we have to make them a little humorous. But, what can I say, if you are truly hurt, I apologise from the bottom of my heart. Please forgive me, I am sorry.”
