Telugu actor-producer Niharika Konidelawas detained by Hyderabad City police, along with singer Rahul Sipligunj and 144 others, following a raid at a pub in the city’s Radisson Blu Hotel in Banjara Hills.
During the course of the raid, carried out at 3 am on Sunday, the police task force reportedly found drugs and other banned substances at the hotel premises. The raid was conducted due to the hotel extending its operations beyond permissible hours.
Other prominent personalities who were also present and detained included the daughter of a former Director General of Andhra Pradesh Police and the son of an MP from the Telugu Desam Party (TDP). Those detained were taken to the Banjara Hills Police Station for questioning.
In light of the situation, CV Anand, the Commissioner of Hyderabad police has reportedly suspended P Shiva Chandra, the Station House Officer (SHO) of Banjara Hills police station, for negligence towards his duty. Subsequently, K Nageshwar Rao of the Hyderabad Commissioner’s Task Force was installed as the new SHO for Banjara Hills.
Silverscreen India tried to reach out to the Commissioner of Hyderabad police and the new SHO, but received no response.
Sipligunj was released at 8 am on Sunday morning, after four hours of detention and questioning. Konidela too was spotted leaving the station at noon, but she refused to talk to media representatives.
However, her father, actor Naga Babu, issued a video statement addressing the incident. He said, “This is in response to last night’s incident at a pub in Radisson Blu as my daughter Niharika was there at the time. Since the pub was open beyond the permissible hours, action was taken by the police against the pub. With respect to Niharika, she is clear. According to the police, she has not done anything bad. I am releasing this video in order to prevent unwanted speculations on social media and mainstream press. Our conscience is clear and we request all to not spread speculations.”
Kainakary Thankaraj, the veteran Malayalam film and theatre actor, died at his residence in Keralapuram in Kollam, on Sunday. He was 76 years old.
The actor reportedly suffered a stroke a year ago and had been dealing with health-related ailments since. However, he continued to act in films and telefilms. A few months ago, Thankaraj had a fall, which led to further deterioration of his health. Last week, the actor was admitted to the Thiruvananthapuram Medical College Hospital.
Born to Narayan Kutti and Janaki Amma, Thankaraj followed in the footsteps of his father, who was a theatre actor. He gave over 16,000 stage performances over the course of his career, working with popular theatre groups in Kerala like KPAC, Chenganassery Geetha and Sarathi. He was also a recipient of the Kerala State Award for best theatre actor.
Thankaraj made his film debut in 1979 alongside actor Prem Nazir in Aana Paachan. More recently, he received wide recognition for his role as Vavachan in Ee. Ma. Yau (2018). He acted in over 35 films in all, and was particularly known for his work in movies such as #Home, Ishq,Lucifer, Orilathanalil, Amen, Iblis, and Varikkuzhiyile Kolapathakam.
Condoling his demise, Mohanlal, who worked with Thankaraj in Lucifer, mentioned that he was an actor who had gifted the audience some remarkable performances in the theatre and cinema world for many years.
Murali Gopy, the writer of Lucifer, revealed in a social media post that Thankaraj, who played Krishnan Nedumpally in the film, was to have a significant role in its sequel, which is currently in the scripting stage.
Filmmaker Rojin Thomas, who directed #Home, took to his Instagram page to pay tribute to the late actor. He wrote, “Soul of our #Home: Kainakary Thankaraj (appachan). You are always loved and never forgotten.”
A US Judge has denied a retrial to British socialite Ghislaine Maxwell, a former associate of Jeffrey Epstein, in the child sex trafficking and abuse case, on Friday.
Earlier, in January, Maxwell had filed a plea for retrial on the grounds that a juror named Scotty David, had disclosed being a victim of abuse, and thus, could not guarantee impartiality. The daughter of former media baron Robert Maxwell was convicted in December, 2021.
In July 2019, American financier Jeffrey Epstein was charged with sex trafficking and the exploitation of several underage girls and women. Maxwell was found to be complicit in these crimes. She had reportedly provided Epstein and his associates – including Prince Andrew and former US Presidents Donald Trump and Bill Clinton – with several underage girls to obtain sexual favours from.
The testimonies of the four women, which became the cornerstone of the verdict, echoed similar experiences and alleged that Maxwell has used her charm and gifts to gain their trust, took an interest in their adolescent challenges, and had given them reassurances by saying that Epstein could use his wealth and connections to help them realise their dreams.
Maxwell denied all the charges against her and her defence noted that they were all “for things that Jeffrey Epstein did.” While she is facing up to 65 years of jail time, Epstein was found hanging in his cell in 2019.
After the verdict was pronounced, David had told the media that he had shared his past experience of abuse with other jurors.
David said, “This is one of the biggest mistakes I have made in my life”. He added that he was not attentive to the questionnaire that was given out to every member who was up for a position on the jury, and called it an “inadvertent mistake.”
However, David was relieved from prosecution.
“His failure to disclose his prior sexual abuse during the jury selection process was highly unfortunate, but not deliberate,” judge Alison Nathan said. “The court further concludes that Juror 50 harboured no bias toward the defendant and could serve as a fair and impartial juror,” she added.
This is not the only case against Maxwell. She was also named in a separate lawsuit filed by Virginia Giuffre, who had sued Prince Andrew earlier this year for allegedly sexually assaulting her, when she was 17 years old. However, Giuffre and Andrew opted for an out-of-court settlement, in February.
Arora was in Pune to attend a fashion event, and her car reportedly met with an accident. She sustained minor injuries on the forehead and was immediately admitted to the Apollo Hospital in Navi Mumbai for treatment.
ANItweeted an update about the actor-presenter from Apollo hospital, “The CT scan has turned out fine and she is currently okay. The actor will be kept under observation for the night and will be discharged in the morning, tomorrow.”
It was reported that the news of the accident was first shared by officials at the Khopoli police station.
“The accident happened at the 38km point on Mumbai-Pune expressway, which is an accident prone area. Three vehicles rammed into each other and all three of them have received damages. The motor-cyclists drove away immediately after the accident and hence, the kind of injuries sustained is not clear. We have been informed that all victims have sustained very minor injuries,” stated a police official.
He added that an FIR will be also be filed, soon.
“We have received the registration numbers of all three cars and now, we would contact the owners to understand what had actually happened,” Haresh Kalsekar, Assistant Police Inspector from Khopoli police station, told TOI.
Meanwhile, Arora’s sister, Amrita Arora told the publication that the actor was stable and currently recovering.
“Malaika is shaken up by the incident but is doing okay. She has had a few stitches and is doing fine. She didn’t have any major head injury as she had a cushion next to her head. She should be back home by Sunday afternoon,” a source told India Today.
Arora is a well-known face on Indian television, having served on the jury of popular dance reality television shows like, Nach Baliye, Zara Nachke Dikha, and Jhalak Dikhla Jaa, among others.
She has also been judging India’s Got Talent since 2012, alongside Kirron Kher and Karan Johar. She has hosted and judged MTV India’s India’s Next Top Model and MTV Supermodel of the Year.
A draft law to address concerns of sexual harassment in the Malayalam film industry will be ready within a month, Kerala Minister for Culture Saji Cherian told The Hindu.
After attending the inaugural event of the Regional International Film Festival of Kerala in Kochi on Friday, the minister confirmed to the publication that the department of culture will finish drafting the law in a month. He said that the draft would then be presented before the law department for assessment.
Cherian further added that the draft would be taken up for discussion by the cabinet before tabling in the assembly for approval. “The government will also hold discussions with the various film bodies and the Women in Cinema Collective before finalising the draft,” he said.
He also stated that the draft law would be published in the public domain after completing the due legal procedure.
It may be noted that on March 17, Kerala High Court ordered film production houses in the Malayalam industry to form Internal Complaints Committees (ICC) as per the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) PoSH Act, 2013. The court observed that every film unit is an establishment and that production houses have the responsibility to form an ICC.
Following that, Cherian had announced that the government would draw up legislation based on the recommendations in the reports of Adoor Gopalakrishnan and the Hema committee, to ensure the protection of women in the Malayalam film industry. The minister had also mentioned then that a meeting would be held with all stakeholders in the industry, including the WCC, and their suggestions would be used in preparing the draft legislation.
Headed by retired judge Hema, a commission was formed on July 1, 2017, by Kerala’s Department of Cultural Affairs in the aftermath of the Malayalam female actor abduction and sexual assault incident, to study gender disparity, sexual harassment, and other such issues faced by women in the Malayalam film industry. Many women testified before the commission and described their traumatic experiences. A report was subsequently submitted to the government on December 31, 2019.
Ganesh Acharya, who recently choreographed the hit Pushpa song Oo Antava, has been charged with sexual harassment, stalking and voyeurism based on a 2020 complaint by an assistant choreographer.
According to a report in Hindustan Times, Mumbai police recently filed a charge sheet against the choreographer for the same. Acharya and an assistant have been charged under sections 354A (sexual harassment), 354C (voyeurism), 354D (stalking), 509 (insulting the modesty of any woman), 323 (causing hurt), 504 (intentional insult), 506 (criminal intimidation) and 34 (common intention to commit an offence) of the Indian Penal Code.
The charge sheet was filed after the police conducted an investigation into the complaint of the woman who had worked with Acharya. In 2020, the dancer had filed the complaint stating that Acharya had been harassing her after she turned down his sexual advances. She also accused him of making lewd comments, showing her a porn movie, and molesting her.
However, in a statement to Quint, the choreographer denied these allegations and said, “I’m not aware of the charge sheet or its contents. I have not been informed about this. I have already filed a defamation complaint against her, which is subjudice. I am innocent and all the allegations made against me are false, fabricated, and malicious.”
“I have full faith in our judicial process and the truth about the falsity of the allegations levelled against me will come out. As regards to the charge sheet, I will take necessary legal recourse as advised, at the relevant time,” he added.
After the complaint from the assistant choreographer in January 2020, another woman came forward and filed an FIR against Acharya for sexual harassment that February. In a letter to the National Commission of Women (NCW), she had stated that Acharya had “coerced” her into having sex with him in 1990, but she managed to escape.
Apart from these allegations, in 2018, actor Tanushree Dutta had accused the choreographer of being complicit in her harassment by actor Nana Patekar while filming a song sequence for the 2009 movie Horn Ok Pleassss.
Dileep is facing trial as the chief conspirator behind the assault.
Balachandra Kumar, a filmmaker and a former friend of the accused, earlier alleged that in 2016, he had travelled in the now-seized car along with Dileep’s brother Anoop and Pulsar Suni, the first accused in the case. It may be noted that after almost five years, at the end of 2021, the female actor assault case gained momentum again based on the allegations levelled against Dileep by Kumar. The latter claimed that Dileep had watched the video of the sexual assault at his house; that the actor knew Suni; and that Dileep had influenced some of the significant witnesses in the case who later turned hostile during trial.
In an exclusive interaction with Reporter TV in December 2021, Kumar said that he saw Suni at Dileep’s house. He added that when he and Anoop had gone to get food in the car, Dileep had asked them to drop Suni at a bus stop. Kumar also said that he had a chat with Suni after Anoop introduced them.
In addition to seizing the car, the SIT has also reportedly recovered a letter that Suni wrote to Dileep, while the former was in District Jail in Kakkanad in May 2018. In the two-page letter, dated May 5, 2018, Suni said that he would confess his offence and was ready to face the verdict in court. According to officials, Suni had passed the letter to one of his cellmates, Sajith, asking him to hand it over to Dileep. However, Sajith was unable to meet Dileep and he tried to give it to the latter’s lawyer. But, the lawyer returned it. The letter was recovered from Sajith’s house at Kunnamkulam in Thrissur.
Earlier, Suni’s mother had given a copy of this letter to the officials who are investigating the conspiracy to murder case. As the letter does not contain any name or signature, the probing team visited Suni in Viyyur Central Jail and recorded a sample of his handwriting. It has been sent for forensic examination.
For a full timeline of the female actor abduction and assault case, see here.
Sail had alleged that he was made to sign blank papers by the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) after Khan was arrested. He had also said that Wankhede was aiming for a pay-off in the case.
In October last year, in an affidavit, Sail had said that he was forced to sign around 10 blank papers as a ‘panch’ or independent witness at the NCB office in Mumbai, in connection with the case.
Sail had further said that he was the personal bodyguard of Kiran Gosavi, the private investigator who was seen in the viral selfie with Aryan Khan at the NCB office. He had claimed that he was present in the car during a telephonic conversation between Gosavi and one Sam D’Souza, discussing monetary pay-offs to be paid to Wankhede, NCB Zonal Director, Mumbai Unit, and the officer leading the investigations in the cruise ship drugs case.
Wankhede had then been removed as the lead investigator of the case, and an SIT (Special Investigation Team), headed by senior IPS officer Sanjay Singh, was formed to probe the matter.
Earlier, on October 3, 2021, Aryan Khan was taken into custody by the NCB after drugs were seized on board the cruise ship. His bail was rejected multiple times based on the agency’s claim that he had played a role in the illicit procurement and consumption of drugs. The NCB had also alleged that Aryan Khan was part of a larger conspiracy and had contacts with an international drug network.
The 23-year-old Khan was eventually granted bail by the Bombay High Court and he walked out of Arthur Road jail on October 30 after spending 26 days in custody. The investigation in the case is still underway.
Will Smith, the Oscar-winning American actor who recently courted controversy by slapping comedian Chris Rock on stage during the 94th Academy Awards, has resigned from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
This means Smith cannot vote for the Oscars. However, he is still eligible to be nominated for awards, attend future ceremonies, and retain the award he has won.
On Sunday’s ceremony, Smith earned his first-ever Oscar for his lead performance in the film King Richard, shortly after he walked on stage and struck Rock across the face for making a joke aimed at his wife Jada Pinkett Smith. The joke was about the latter being in GI Jane 2 because of her shaved head. Pinkett Smith has been diagnosed with alopecia areata, a condition that causes a sudden loss of hair.
In the aftermath of the incident, that also involved Smith yelling and cursing at Rock to not talk about his wife, the Academy’s Board of Governors held a review meeting to discuss the next steps, following which disciplinary action was initiated against Smith.
The exact nature of the disciplinary action – suspension, expulsion, or other sanctions – is to be determined at the next board meeting on April 18.
However, Smith has now resigned ahead of this, seemingly of his own accord. In a statement accessed by The Hollywood Reporter, the actor said that he was “heartbroken” and accepted responsibility for all the consequences of his behaviour during the ceremony.
“My actions at the 94th Academy Awards presentation were shocking, painful, and inexcusable. The list of those I have hurt is long and includes Chris, his family, many of my dear friends and loved ones, all those in attendance, and global audiences at home,” Smith said.
He further added, “I betrayed the trust of the Academy. I deprived other nominees and winners of their opportunity to celebrate and be celebrated for their extraordinary work. I am heartbroken. I want to put the focus back on those who deserve attention for their achievements and allow the Academy to get back to the incredible work it does to support creativity and artistry in film.”
As per THR, the Academy has “received and accepted” Smith’s resignation. However, it also said that the disciplinary proceedings will continue against the actor.
Smith too mentioned in his statement that he has responded to the Academy’s notice and “will fully accept any and all consequences.”
Chalachithra Academy Chairperson Ranjith has landed in a controversy after sharing the dais with actor Dileep at the Film Exhibitors’ United Organization of Kerala’s (FEUOK) general body meeting that was held in Kochi, on Thursday.
Earlier, Ranjith had invited actor Bhavana Menon, the survivor of the assault, as a surprise guest at the 26th edition of the International Film Festival of Kerala (IFFK). He had also hailed the survivor as a ‘female symbol of fight’ at the event.
However, on Thursday, Ranjith shared the stage with Dileep at the FEUOK event. Speaking at the event, Dileep had appreciated him for efficiently handling all responsibilities as the Chairperson of Kerala’s Chalachithra Academy.
When questions were raised about him sharing the dais with the accused, Ranjith clarified to the media that he had only participated in the program as he was invited by FUEOK Secretary Sumesh.
He said, “I had not gone to Dileep’s house nor did I go with him to a restaurant to have a cup of coffee. Even if I did, it is not necessary to criticise me. For instance, if Dileep and I happened to be on the same flight, should I run out of it?”
Ranjith added that he has known Dileep for a long time, and although he is a representative of the government, he will continue to work with film exhibitors. He also mentioned that the government has given him the freedom to interact with his colleagues in the industry.
This is not the first time that Ranjith’s stand on this matter has been called into question. When he had invited the survivor to IFFK, several had criticised the move as a mere publicity stunt and pointed out that Ranjith had allegedly visited Dileep, when the actor was in jail for the same case.
Responding to this, Ranjith had told the press earlier that he did not intentionally visit Dileep in jail and had only accompanied actor Suresh Krishna. He also clarified that he has not taken any stand in favour of Dileep.
Rimi Sen, the Hindi actor best known for her roles in Dhoom, Phir Hera Pheri, and Bhagban, has filed a complaint against a Mumbai-based businessman for allegedly defrauding her of Rs 4.14 crore.
Earlier this week, Sen went to the Khar Police Station to file the complaint against the businessman, Ronak Jatin Vyas, an officer informed Silverscreen India. The Khar Police Station in Mumbai has since filed a First Information Report (FIR) and charged the businessman with fraud and criminal breach of trust.
According to the actor, who also owns Mamlo Film Production, she met Vyas in an Andheri gym back in 2019 and became friends with him.
Once the two became friends, the businessman reportedly approached Sen and offered her 28 to 30% returns if she invested in his new business venture, a police officer told ETimes. Vyas had also given the actor a security cheque for Rs 3.50 crore to build trust, the officer added.
After agreeing to his business proposal, Sen transferred a total of Rs 1 crore to his company between February and July 2019. Later, the actor transferred an additional amount of Rs 3.14 crore after Vyas guaranteed Sen a profit of 40% on her future investments.
However, he failed to provide her with the promised returns within the said time frame, Sen said in her complaint. She further mentioned that whenever she questioned Vyas on the same, he always came up with an excuse.
When the actor once again followed up on the situation, in March 2020, Vyas transferred a sum of Rs 3 lakh to her firm’s bank account but did not pay any more than that. Sen was reportedly “frustrated and disappointed” and tried to encash the security cheque that Vyas had given her, at which time, she discovered that the bank account had been locked.
As per a Bollywood Hungamareport, Sen filed the police complaint after Vyas began ignoring her phone calls. She realised that she had been duped when she made inquiries and learnt that he never started the company.
Actor Randhir Kapoor has denied suffering from dementia, a day after his nephew, actor Ranbir Kapoor had claimed the same, in an interview.
In an interaction with ETimes, the 75-year-old veteran actor denied suffering from the health condition and said, “Aisa kuch nahi hua. (It is nothing like that) Not at all. I am perfectly fine. I just had Covid sometime ago (in April, last year).” Randhir Kapoor’s statement came in a day after Ranbir Kapoor told NDTV, “My uncle Randhir Kapoor, who is going through early stages of dementia, came to me after watching the film (Sharmaji Namkeen) and said, ‘Tell dad (Rishi Kapoor) that he is amazing, and where is he, let’s call him’.”
When asked why the Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani actor had made such a statement in the first place, the veteran actor had said, “Ranbir ki marzi (Ranbir’s wish), he is entitled to say what he wants to. I never said that. I am alright. In fact, I have just returned from Goa with Rahul Rawail. We were there at the Goa festival.”
Randhir Kapoor, the eldest son of Raj Kapoor, lost both his brothers, Rishi and Rajiv, within a span of ten months. Rishi Kapoor died two years ago on April 30 after a two-year battle with cancer, while Rajiv Kapoor died following a heart attack in February, last year.
Rishi Kapoor’s last film, Sharmaji Namkeen, was released on Amazon Prime Video on March 31. While the late actor could not finish shooting for the film, actor Paresh Rawal had stepped in to play the role and finish the film, after Kapoor’s demise. The film also stars Juhi Chawla, Sheeba Chadha, among others, in pivotal roles.
Meanwhile, Ranbir Kapoor will be next seen in director Ayan Mukerji‘s Brahmastra alongside actors Amitabh Bachchan, Alia Bhatt and Nagarjuna. The shooting of the film was completed a few days earlier, and it is set to have a theatrical release on September 9, 2022.
Actors Hyun Bin and Son Ye-jin, known for playing the lead couple in the 2020 hit K-drama Crash Landing On You, tied the knot in a private ceremony in Seoul on Thursday.
Their wedding was confirmed by Hyun Bin’s agency, Vast Entertainment on Thursday. Sharing photos of the couple on social media, the agency wrote, “Today, actor Son Ye-jin and actor Hyun Bin will have a wedding ceremony and take their first steps together as a couple.”
It further read, “We ask for your understanding that this ceremony will be held privately in consideration of the current Covid-19 situation, and we will deliver news about them through photos at the wedding.”
While further information regarding the ceremony was not disclosed, according to the Korean media outlet YTN Star, which had obtained a copy of the wedding invitation, the actors got married at Aston House of Sheraton Grand Walkerhill Hotel in Seoul, South Korea on Thursday at 4 PM.
Photos from the wedding venue were shared on Thursday, where officials could be seen checking vehicles at the entrance of the hotel.
As we wait for further official photos from the wedding to ‘crash-land’ our feeds and bless our eyes, here’s a look at the timeline of the couple’s relationship, as it bloomed from reel-life to real-life.
2011:
The two have been associated with each other even back in 2011, when Ye-jin had made a special appearance in Hyun Bin’s popular Korean drama, Secret Garden. However, it is reported that the two never met on sets.
2018:
While the two have been spotted sitting next to each other at the Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival (PiFan) in 2014, it was only in 2017 that they were confirmed to officially work together. Hyun Bin and Ye-jin starred in the film, The Negotiation, which released in 2018.
Ye Jin was quoted by Soompi as saying, “My first impression of Hyun Bin was that he had really great skin and hair, and I thought he must be an actor that actresses are really into.”
2019:
Much to the excitement of their fans, in 2019, the actors were confirmed to act as the lead couple in the hit drama, Crash Landing On You. Their on-screen chemistry as the South Korean heiress Yoon Se-ri and the North Korean army officer Lee Jeong-hyuk sparked fresh rumours of their relationship.
2021: It was reported that Hyun Bin and Ye-jin have been dating for eight months, in 2021. Soon, Ye-jin personally confirmed the news, with a post on her Instagram account. Saying that she felt embarrassed to share her personal life on social media, Ye-jin wrote, “I’m thankful to have been able to meet a good person, and I’ll work hard to tend the relationship with care … The love and support that all of you give me, I’m always keeping it in my heart.”
2022:
In February 2022, the couple announced that they were getting married. Ye-jin wrote, “I found someone to spend the rest of my life with. Yes… it’s him. Just being with him, I feel warm and protected. Please help us celebrate the beginning of our future.”
Hyun Bin also shared the announcement through his agency’s official Instagram account and wrote, “I made a promise to her, who always makes me smile. Let’s walk through the days ahead together.”
Moreover, a staff member had shared a sweet behind-the-scenes story about the couple, a day before the announcement of their wedding. Ye-jin, who had been shooting a commercial, had said, “He (Hyun Bin) said that my smile is the prettiest”.
A Delhi court granted bail, on Monday, to the ‘Bulli Bai’ app case accused Niraj Bishnoi and ‘Sulli Deals’ case accused Omkareshwar Thakur on humanitarian grounds. While their bail has come within months of their arrest, social media users pointed out that several activists continue to remain in prison for years without a trial.
The app shared pictures and Twitter handles of Muslim women as part of a fake ‘online auction’ with the caption ‘Bulli of the day’.
On January 1, nearly 112 Muslim women found themselves listed on this auction, including actor Shabana Azmi, journalists Ismat Ara, Arfa Khanum Sherwani, Fatima Khan, and Quratulain Rehbar, author Saba Naqvi, poet Nabiya Khan, RJ Sayema, Pakistani Nobel laureate Malala Yousafzai, and activist Khalida Parveen. Several other female Muslim activists, who frequently voice their opinions on social media, were also listed.
Six months prior to this, in July 2020, around 80 Muslim women were listed “for sale” in another fake online auction, known as ‘Sulli Deals‘, also hosted on GitHub. “Sulli” is a derogatory term used by Hindu men against Muslim women. While the Delhi Police registered an FIR, after the Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) and the National Commission for Women (NCW) called for an investigation, no concrete action had been taken at the time.
However, based on evidence from the ‘Bulli Bai’ case, 26-year-old Thakur from Indore was arrested on January 9 for allegedly for writing code for the ‘Sulli Deals’ app.
Both Bishnoi and Thakur have now been released on bail. The court took into consideration that the accused were first-time offenders in its judgment and observed that continued incarceration would be detrimental to their overall well-being.
Photo Source: From Left to Right (Stan Swamy) Silverscreen Media Library (Sharjeel Imam) Instagram (Fahad Shah) Twitter (Umar Khalid) Wikipedia
This verdict has led to several on social media pointing out that such consideration has not been provided to the many activists who have been in jail for years without a trial.
Professor and columnist Ashok Swain and author Deepanjana questioned why humanitarian grounds did not apply to late Father Stan Swamy. The 84-year-old Jharkhand-based tribal activist died as an undertrial prisoner in July last year after suffering a cardiac arrest at the Taloja central jail. He was arrested in October 2020 in the Bhima Koregaon case.
Swamy and 15 other activists and scholars were accused of having Maoist links and backing the event marking the 200th anniversary of the Battle of Bhima Koregaon that led to violence in 2018. They were arrested under the stringent Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act and have been awaiting trial for the past three years.
While 60-year-old lawyer and activist Sudha Bharadwaj and 82-year-old Telugu poet and activist Varavara Rao are out on bail in that case, journalist Gautam Navlakha, Professor Rona Wilson, advocate Surendra Gadling, Professor Shoma Sen, Mahesh Raut, Vernon Gonsalves, Arun Ferreira, and others remain in jail.
Activist Shuja compared the accused in the apps cases with activist Umar Khalid, who has been in jail for over 500 days after being arrested under the draconian UAPA. He is accused of being a “key conspirator” in the Delhi riots in February 2020 that resulted in the deaths of over 50 people, mostly Muslims. The riots broke out amidst the months-long protests against the contentious law, Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA).
Another accused in the same case, activist and scholar Sharjeel Imam, who was also known for his active participation in the anti-CAA protests, also continues to be in prison.
The national spokesperson for Congress, Dr Shama Mohamed, meanwhile, brought forth the example of Siddique Kappan, the Kerala-based journalist who has been languishing in jail since October 2020. He was also arrested under the UAPA, while on his way to cover the Hathras rape case and is still awaiting trial.
Adishakti, a contemporary theatre research and repertory company near Puducherry, Tamil Nadu is all set to launch the sixth edition of the Remembering Veenapani festival and celebrate its 40th anniversary.
The month-long cultural festival commemorates Veenapani Chawla, the founder of Adishakti and one of the pioneers of experimental theatre in India. It starts on the late artiste’s birth anniversary, April 5, and will go on till May 3.
Throughout the month, the festival will see several performances such as Bhoomi, a play directed by Vinay Kumar; Rio, a clown show by the theatre company Amares Teatro; Nothing Like Lear, a play adapted and directed by actor Rajat Kapoor and performed by actor Vinay Pathak, among many others.
Established by Veenapani in 1981 as a theatre company in erstwhile Bombay, Adishakti has nurtured several artists who now work across different film industries, says present artistic director Vinay Kumar. Along with Arvind Rane and Nimmy Raphael, he was among Veenapani’s early disciples.
According to the website, after Veenapani’s demise in 2014, Adishakti began to celebrate the Remembering Veenapani Festival every year, from 2015 onwards. During the festival, the company opens its doors to performances of varied sorts from music and dance to theatre. Adishakti has also extended its space to several residential programs, workshops, and performances that are conducted by artists from around the world.
“All the performers at the festival are worthy of highlight, according to me,” says Kumar. “We don’t bracket art and thus, we did not select anyone, we requested artists to come and perform. The initial planning of the festival started with only five performances, but now we are at 20.”
The festival will not only feature plays but also music, with performances from home bands like Just Sisters and Gowwli, as well as a Carnatic concert by Sanjay Subrahmanyam. There will be dance performances too by the likes of Usha Nangiar.
The complete schedule of the Remembering Veenapani Festival is as follows:
Home Shows
5th April – Nidravathwam by Nimmy Raphel (Adishakti), Pondichery
6th April – Brhannala by Late Veenapani Chawla (Adishakti), Pondicherry
7th April – Bhoomi by Vinay Kumar (Adishakti), Pondicherry
8th April – Thullal Trayyam by Suresh Kaliyath, Thrissur
9th April – Mandodari Nirvahanam by Usha Nangiar, Thrissur
Guest Shows
20th April – Gowwli – A folk rock experimental band
21st April – Favourite Things by Malavika PC, Bangalore
22nd April- Rio – A clown show by Amares Teatro, Uruguay
23rd April – Just Sisters – vocal jazz & blues band, Auroville
24th April – Shurpanaki – An experimental Yakshakana & Odissi piece, Bangalore
25th April – Sandippu – A performance by Kattaikuttu Sangam, Kanchipuram
26th April – Kutti Ilavarasan – An Adaptation of The Little Prince in Tamil, Chennai
27th April – Nothing Like Lear by Rajat Kapoor & Vinay Pathak, Mumbai
28th April – A Carnatic Concert by Sanjay Subramanyan, Chennai
29th April – Elephant in The Room by Yuki Elias, Mumbai
30th April – The Threshold – Music concert by Bindhumalini & Pallavi MD, Bangalore
1st May – Desdemona Roopakam by Abhishek Majumbdar, Bangalore
2nd May – Look for Me in The Stars by 20M: Konarak Reddy & Roberto Naraian, Bangalore
The plea was heard by Justice Ziyad Rahman AA over three days, from Tuesday to Thursday. On the third day, after hearing both sides, the judge stated that he would pass the order within one week. He also confirmed with the Director-General of Prosecution (DGP) TA Shaji that the investigation would not be completed before the order is passed.
On Thursday, the DGP stated that the mere agreement to do a criminal act is sufficient to prove the offence of criminal conspiracy. When Dileep’s counsel Siddarth Agarwal claimed that there were malafide motives behind registering this case, the prosecution argued that there was no evidence to prove this.
The court questioned why there was a delay from filmmaker Kumar’s side in making the revelations. To this, the prosecution reiterated that Kumar was close to Dileep back then as they both had planned to work on a film.
When the judge asked if the delay suggests any ill motive on the director’s part, Shaji said that this matter is subject to investigation and noted that unlike other cases of conspiracy, in this case, there is a person [Balachandra Kumar] who had directly witnessed the plot.
Highlighting that the accused had tampered with evidence, Shaji stated that around 32 contacts were deleted in one of the phones submitted for forensic examination. He also mentioned that some of the details of the probe cannot be disclosed now as it may affect the trial.
He argued that the accused cannot seek to change the investigation agency as the allegation of bias probe is not true. He stated that the accused can be assured that the probe team is conducting an impartial investigation abiding by the law.
In previous hearings, Dileep’s counsel had questioned how one person, investigating officer Baiju Paulose, can be the victim, complainant and also probing officer in the case. He raised concern over many of Dileep’s family members being targeted in this case and the frequent raids at his home.
For a full timeline of the female actor abduction and assault case, see here.
Alia Bhatt has refuted rumours of being upset with director SS Rajamouli and the team of RRRteam, on Thursday.
The Gangubai Kathiawadi star took to Instagram stories and wrote, “In today’s randomness, I’ve heard that I apparently deleted my RRR posts because I’m upset with the team. I sincerely request everyone not to make assumptions based on something as random as an Instagram grid. I always realign old video posts from my profile grid because I prefer it to look less cluttered.”
Bhatt added, “I am eternally grateful that I got to be a part of the world of RRR. I loved playing Sita, I loved being directed by Rajamouli Sir, I loved working with Tarak and Charan – I loved every single thing about my experience on this film. The only reason I’m bothering to clarify this is because Rajamouli Sir and the team have put in years of effort and energy to bring this beautiful film to life and I refuse to let any misinformation around the film and experience slide.”
It was reported that the actor unfollowed director Rajamouli on Instagram and had deleted promotional videos of the film from her account over the less screen time she got in the final cut of RRR.
RRR is a fictional account of freedom fighters Alluri Sitaramaraju and Komaram Bheem, essayed by Ram Charan and Junior NTR, respectively. The film has a star cast across several industries, including Hindi actors Bhatt and Ajay Devgn, Irish actor Alison Doody, Shriya Saran, Ray Stevenson, and Olivia Morris, among others.
Meanwhile, Bhatt will be seen in the much-anticipated film Brahmastrawith Ranbir Kapoor. She is also set to make her international debut with the upcoming Netflix film Heart of Stone, alongside Gal Gadot, best known for Wonder Woman, and Jamie Dornan, who starred in Fifty Shades of Grey.
Actor Paul Herman, popularly known for his recurring role as Peter “Beansie” Gaeta in the crime drama series The Sopranos, died on Wednesday. He was 76.
Michael Imperioli, Herman’s co-star from The Sopranos, confirmed the actor’s death, who passed away on his birthday. “Our friend and colleague Paul Herman has passed away. Paulie was just a great dude. A first class storyteller and raconteur and one hell of an actor,” he wrote in an Instagram post.
Imperioli added, “Paulie lived around the corner from me the last few years and I am glad we got to spend some time together before he left us. I’ll miss him. Lots of love to his family, friends and our community of actors and filmmakers.”
Herman had joined the series in its second season playing Beansie, a former drug dealer. He had reportedly appeared in a total of five episodes, and had made guest appearances in seasons four and six.
Born on March 29, 1946, Herman’s first film credit was the 1982 comedy Dear Mr Wonderful, starring Joe Pesci.
He went on to feature in several big-banner films, including James Foley’s At Close Range, Robert De Niro-starrer Once Upon a Time in America, James Gray’s We Own the Night, Al Pacino-starrer Heat, Bill Murray and Howard Franklin’s Quick Change, and David O Russell’s American Hustle, among others. He also guest-starred in several television shows, including The Equalizer and Miami Vice.
Frequently collaborating with Martin Scorsese, Herman had first worked with the director on the 1986 sports drama The Color of Money and The Last Temptation of Christ. He also had minor roles in Goodfellas and Casino. His last collaboration with the director was in 2019, with the film The Irishman.
Members from the industry paid their tributes to Herman.
Actor Tony Danza took to Twitter, and wrote, “Paul (Paulie) Herman was one of the greatest guys of all time. A great actor and a great friend. If you visited NYC from LA, he was the entertainment director. We will all miss you so much, Paulie.”
Actor Lorraine Bracco, Herman’s co-star from Goodfellas and The Sopranos, shared, “The one and only. A loving soul with a great sense of humor, Paulie Herman. Rest In Peace.”
“Rest in power Paulie Herman. You were the best,” wrote singer Diane Warren.
According to a statement released after a meeting of the Academy’s Board of Governors, the organisation has “initiated disciplinary proceedings against Mr Smith for violations of the Academy’s Standards of Conduct, including inappropriate physical contact, abusive or threatening behaviour, and compromising the integrity of the Academy.”
During the Oscars event on Sunday, Rock joked about Jada Pinkett-Smith’s shaved head, a consequence of her medical condition alopecia areata, and said, “Jada, I love you. GI Jane 2, can’t wait to see it, all right?”
Smith took everyone by surprise by going up on stage and striking Rock across the face. He returned to his seat, and screamed, “Keep my wife’s name out of your fucking mouth.”
Soon, the incident started going viral on social media, with #WillAndChris trending on Twitter and most netizens calling out Smith’s action. Although the Academy released a statement, shortly after, disapproving of the act, some social media users noted that the Oscar curators did not step up to do anything as it was happening, let alone escorting Smith out of the event.
In its statement on Wednesday, the Academy clarified, “Things unfolded in a way we could not have anticipated. While we would like to clarify that Mr Smith was asked to leave the ceremony and refused, we also recognize we could have handled the situation differently.”
The Academy went on to apologise to Rock. “Mr Rock, we apologize to you for what you experienced on our stage and thank you for your resilience in that moment. We also apologize to our nominees, guests and viewers for what transpired during what should have been a celebratory event.”
Although Rock declined to file a police report, Smith’s actions have been called out by members of the industry and netizens alike.
Actor and comedian Jim Carrey recently said that had he been in Rock’s shoes, he would have slapped Smith with a lawsuit for $200 million.
Others, including Jimmy Kimmel, pointed out that Smith was initially smiling at Rock’s joke before suddenly going up on stage and assaulting the comedian.
Even though the actor apologised to Rock, a formal review of the incident was initiated by the Academy. Smith will be served a 15-day notice “of a vote regarding his violations and sanctions, and the opportunity to be heard beforehand by means of a written response,” the organisation’s statement added.
The next board meeting is scheduled to be held on April 18, and at that time, Smith might face disciplinary action in the form of suspension, expulsion, or other sanctions as per the Academy’s bylaws.
The families of those who died during Travis Scott’s Astroworld concert in November 2021 have accused the rapper of violating Judge Kristen Hawkins’ gag order with his announcement of Project HEAL earlier this month.
The victims’ families have raised concerns that Scott’s initiative was in violation of the court order which bars him from disclosing or discussing events related to the ongoing case.
Announcing his “multi-tier initiative dedicated to addressing challenges facing today’s youth” via Instagram, Scott wrote, “My team and I created Project HEAL to take much needed action towards supporting real solutions that make all events the safest spaces they can possibly be. I will always honour the victims of the Astroworld tragedy who remain in my heart forever.” Aside from technology-driven solutions for event safety, the initiative also aims to provide academic scholarships, free mental health resources, and other services.
At a hearing of the Astroworld lawsuits on Monday, an attorney representing the family of 9-year-old Ezra Blount, the youngest victim of the tragedy, accused Scott of using the influence of his social media presence to address concert safety, one of the issues being debated in the lawsuits.
However, Scott’s attorney responded that charitable acts have “been a constant in his life” and “to suggest somehow that speaking about those charitable initiatives runs afoul of the publicity order is certainly not something that would withstand scrutiny.”
Scott’s attorney went on to point out that project HEAL also included academic scholarships, which did not violate the gag order, and argued that preventing Scott from speaking out about this could potentially be a violation of his right of free expression.
The rapper’s Astroworld concert was held on November 5 and saw a turnout of 50,000 people. A crowd surge at the event led to a stampede that crushed attendees. The incident left 10 dead, eight of whom succumbed the same night, and multiple people were injured as well. Indian-American student Bharti Shahani was one of the victims. She died on November 11 of injuries sustained at the event.
Both Scott and the organisers Live Nation have been slammed with hundreds of lawsuits alleging negligence and misconduct. These are being heard by State District Judge Kristen Hawkins, who previously barred attorneys and representatives from “making their cases in the court of public opinion,” which could potentially influence the jurors.
Will Smithslapping Chris Rock at the Oscars has been the most widely discussed part of the biggest awards night in cinema. Comedians and celebrities too have weighed in on the incident, with actor-comedian Jim Carrey saying he was “sickened” to witness the assault of Rock and the response at the event.
It all began when Rock joked about Jada Pinkett-Smith’s shaved head, a consequence of her medical condition alopecia areata, and said, “Jada, I love you. GI Jane 2, can’t wait to see it, all right?” Smith went up on stage and took everyone by surprise by striking Rock on his face. He returned to his seat, and screamed, “Keep my wife’s name out of your fucking mouth.”
Soon, the incident started going viral on social media, with #WillAndChris trending on Twitter and most netizens objecting to Smith’s action. Although the Academy released a statement, shortly after, disapproving of the act, some social media users noted that the Oscar curators did not step up to do anything as it was happening.
Asked for his reaction to the incident during an interview on CBS Mornings, Carrey called Hollywood “spineless.” He said, “I was sickened by the standing ovation. It really felt like, ‘oh, this is a really clear indication that we are not the cool club anymore’.”
While Rock refused to file a complaint against Smith, Carrey said in Rock’s place, he would have filed a lawsuit for $200 million. “That insult is going to last a very long time. If you want to yell from the audience and show disapproval or say something on Twitter, that’s fine. But you do not have the right to walk up on stage and smack somebody in the face because they said words,” he added.
Photo Credit: Twitter
Comedians and show hosts Jimmy Kimmel, Jimmy Fallon, Stephen Colbert, and James Corden have also reacted to the incident in their own ways.
While Corden created a parody track, We Don’t Talk About Jada, to the tune of the song We Don’t Talk About Bruno from Encanto, Fallon said on his show, “America may be divided, but it was kind of nice for all of us to come together and say ‘holy crap’ at the same time.”
Colbert also addressed the incident and said that it is never acceptable to punch a comedian, adding, “If you really want to hurt a comedian, don’t laugh! That hurts way more than a punch, I promise you.”
Kimmel, on the other hand, said, “This was the Hollywood version of your drunk uncle starting a fight, ruining the wedding and then standing up and giving a long toast to the bride and groom.” He also noted that Smith was initially smiling at Rock’s joke, and added, “But then he must have looked over and saw that Jada was not amused and is like, ‘Uh oh, I better do something.'”
Actor Adam Sandler voiced his support for Rock on Twitter, and promoted the latter’s Chris Rock Ego Death World Tour, writing, “Can’t wait for this. Love you buddy!”
Actor Zoe Kravitz, who was last seen in The Batman, shared a photo of herself on Instagram and wrote, “Here’s a picture of my dress at the award show where we are apparently assaulting people on stage now.”
Former American basketball player, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar called out Smith for his actions, which, he said, “advocated violence, diminished women, insulted the entertainment industry, and perpetuated stereotypes about the Black community.”
In a blogpost titled Will Smith Did a Bad, Bad Thing, Abdul-Jabbar argued that contrary to defending his wife, “Smith’s slap was also a slap to women.” He added that by hitting Rock, Smith had “announced that his wife was incapable of defending herself — against words.”
The basketball player also noted that the incident will lead to the continued marginalisation of African-Americans and others through voter suppression campaigns.
While Smith did not mention Rock in his acceptance speech, when he apologised to the Academy and his fellow nominees, he later addressed a statement to the comedian on Instagram. Apologising to Rock for his behaviour, which he admitted was “unacceptable and inexcusable,” he said that the joke about his wife’s medical condition was too much for him to bear and caused him to react emotionally.
Meanwhile, the Academy has scheduled a review meeting on Wednesday to discuss the appropriate action to be taken against Smith for his behaviour.
This marked the second consecutive day of Dileep’s interrogation as part of the fresh probe into the actor assault case and he was quizzed for nine hours.
In February 2017, a female actor who predominantly works in Malayalam and Kannada cinema was abducted and sexually assaulted by a gang of men in a moving car en route to Kochi from Thrissur. Dileep was charged as the chief conspirator behind this incident and the trial has been underway for over five years.
At the end of 2021, the case gained momentum when some serious allegations were levelled against Dileep by filmmaker Kumar. The latter alleged that Dileep had watched the video of the sexual assault at his house; that the actor knew the first accused in the case, Pulsar Suni; and that Dileep had influenced some of the significant witnesses in the case, who later turned hostile during the trial.
During Monday’s interrogation, Dileep had claimed that Kumar’s allegations were baseless and that many other people had attempted to exploit this situation created by the filmmaker. He was asked to return for further questioning on Tuesday, at which time he was quizzed in the presence of Kumar himself.
Dileep reported to the police club around 11:30 am on Tuesday and he continued to hold that he had no friendship with Kumar and also dismissed the allegations raised against him. Following this, Kumar was called in to the police club later in the afternoon and the actor was questioned in his presence. The investigating team was reportedly able to collect several crucial pieces of evidence against Dileep, including his attempt to influence the witnesses who turned hostile during the trial.
Dileep had earlier moved the Kerala high court seeking to suspend further investigation into the female actor assault case. Rejecting his plea, the HC directed the agency to continue with the process and conclude it by April 15.
On February 17, 2017, a female actor who predominantly works in Malayalam and Kannada cinema was abducted and sexually assaulted by a gang of men in a moving car en route to Kochi from Thrissur.
Suni, who was the survivor’s former driver, was charged as the ‘gang-leader’ who planned the crime. He was taken into police custody on February 23, 2017, just as he was going to surrender before the additional chief judicial magistrate in Ernakulam.
During interrogation, Suni confessed that he had contacted filmmaker Nadirshah and actor Dileep’s manager, Appunni, from Kakkanad jail, Kochi.
Following this, Dileep was arrested on July 10, that same year, for allegedly orchestrating the abduction and sexual assault, and offering Rs 2 crore to Suni to attack the female actor and shoot a video of her. After 85 days in prison, Dileep was released on bail on October 3, 2017.
Suni, who is currently in prison, moved the Kerala HC seeking bail. In his application, he had cited security threats inside the prison as his reason for seeking bail.
However, Justice PV Kunhikrishnan rejected his plea and added that bail cannot be granted to him at this stage.
Earlier this month, the Supreme Court granted bail to Martin Antony, the second accused in the assault case. Martin was the one who drove the car while the assault took place. When opposing Martin’s bail plea, the prosecution had argued that Suni and other accused may seek bail if Martin’s plea was granted.
It is notable that the case recently gained momentum, after nearly five years, when some serious allegations were made by filmmaker Balachandra Kumar at the end of 2021. He alleged that Dileep knew Pulsar Suni and that he had seen Suni at Dileep’s house on campus.
Following this, the survivor sought further investigation in the case, and the court ordered a fresh probe.
As part of this investigation, Dileep was questioned for seven hours on Monday and was asked to return on Tuesday for a second day of interrogation.
The Walt Disney Company has denounced the ‘Dont Say Gay’ bill, which is now a law after being signed by Florida’s governor, and said it would support those working to reverse it.
Officially called the Parental Rights in Education bill, the legislation limits discussions on sexual orientation and gender identity in schools. It was passed on Monday.
“Florida’s HB 1557, also known as the ‘Don’t Say Gay’ bill, should never have passed and should never have been signed into law. Our goal as a company is for this law to be repealed by the legislature or struck down in the courts, and we remain committed to supporting the national and state organizations working to achieve that,” read the multimedia company’s statement released later that day.
It added, “We are dedicated to standing up for the rights and safety of LGBTQ+ members of the Disney family, as well as the LGBTQ+ community in Florida and across the country.”
Disney’s statement comes a week after its employees staged a walkout protesting the company’s lack of action regarding the legislation. The multimedia giant drew widespread criticism for having donated money to all sponsors of the bill and for subsequently not taking a strong stand against it.
Although CEO Bob Chapek apologised to Disney’s LGBTQ+ employees, via an email, on March 12, and announced that the company would pause all political contributions in Florida, Disney’s staff organised the walkout to pressure Disney into permanently pulling funding from the supporters of the bill as well as commit to an actionable plan to protect employees from such legislation.
The walkout was held at the offices of Lucasfilm, Walt Disney Animation Studios, Disneyland, and Pixar. Actors Mark Ruffalo and Kerry Washington voiced their support for the walkout.
Several of Disney’s subsidiaries released statements in support of the LGBTQIA+ community, without specifically calling out the ‘Don’t Say Gay’ bill.
Marvel Studios was the first Disney-offshoot to denounce “all legislation that infringes on the basic human rights of the LGBTQIA+ community.”
Sports channel and streamer ESPN added in its statement, “We’ll continue to partner with organisations that support the LGBTQIA+ community, be accountable where we fall short of expectations, and never stop telling stories about LGBTQIA+ athletes.”
Meanwhile, as part of an earlier statement condemning Disney’s soft response to the bill, Pixar employees had asserted that the Chapek’s promise of support “rang hollow” when executives at Disney have actively been censoring LGBTQIA+ content in Pixar films.
Following this, Disney recently restored a same-sex kiss scene in the upcoming Pixar film Lightyear.
Actor Dileep, who is currently under trial as the chief conspirator behind the 2017 female actor abduction and sexual assault, was interrogated by the crime branch for seven hours at the police club in Aluva on Monday.
According to Manorama News, during his questioning, the actor refuted all the allegations raised by filmmaker Balachandra Kumar, including that Dileep had watched the visuals of the assault.
Dileep stated that Kumar came up with such baseless allegations after he did not fall into the filmmaker’s blackmail trap. The actor had earlier raised counter allegations of extortion against Kumar, stating that the latter had threatened to make allegations to the police when he was not paid.
During Monday’s interrogation, Dileep also claimed that many other people have attempted to exploit this situation created by Kumar. He added that whenever the case seemed to be progressing in his favour, some people would come up with allegations similar to those raised by Kumar.
The interrogation was headed by Crime Branch ADGP S Sreejith, SP MJ Sojan, and the Inquiry Officer in the actor assault case Baiju M Paulose. The primary aim was to find out if Dileep had possessed and watched the assault visuals and his role in allegedly influencing 20 witnesses who turned hostile during the trial.
After the completion of Monday’s interrogation, ADGP Sreejith told the media that the questioning will continue on Tuesday. When asked if Dileep was cooperative, the officer said that questions were asked and the actor responded.
Manorama News reports that the crime branch has asked Dileep to furnish evidence to validate his statements during the interrogation on Tuesday.
In February 2017, a female actor who predominantly works in Malayalam and Kannada cinema was abducted and sexually assaulted by a gang of men in a moving car en route to Kochi from Thrissur.
At the end of 2021, the case gained momentum again when some serious allegations were levelled against Dileep by filmmaker Kumar. The latter alleged that Dileep had watched the video of the sexual assault at his house; that the actor knew the first accused in the case, Pulsar Suni; and that Dileep had influenced some of the significant witnesses in the case who later turned hostile during the trial.
Following this, the survivor sought further investigation in the case, and the court ordered a fresh probe. The Kerala High Court has directed the investigation agency to conclude its probe by April 15.
For a full timeline of the female actor abduction and assault case, see here.
