Section: Life

Anushka Sharma Announces She’s Stepping Away From Clean Slate Filmz

BY Namrata Ganguly On

Anushka Sharma, the Hindi actor who was last seen in the 2018 film Zero, announced on Saturday that she is stepping away from her production house Clean Slate Filmz which she had founded in 2013 along with her brother Karnesh Ssharma.

“I have decided to step away from CSF, confident that the most able person, Karnesh, is taking forward the vision with which it was created in the first place,” she wrote in a statement.

The reason for stepping away, Sharma mentioned, was to dedicate time to her acting career which she called her “first love”.

“Being a new mother, who has chosen to be an actor by profession, I have to balance my life in an entirely new fashion like never before. SO, I have decided whatever time I have at hand, I will dedicate it to my first love, acting!” Sharma wrote in the statement.

Sharma along with her husband cricketer Virat Kohli welcomed their daughter Vamika in January last year.

“When I started Clean Slate Filmz with my brother Karnesh Ssharma, we were novices when it came to production but we had a fire in our belly and we wanted to try and set the agenda of entertainment in India through clutter breaking content. Today when I look back at our journey so far, I am deeply proud of what we have created and the disruption that we have managed to achieve. While CSF started with my vision to change the narrative of what commercial projects should be like, I have to credit Karnesh who has excelled in shaping what CSF has become today,” the statement read.

While expressing support for her brother and the entire team of Clean Slate Filmz, Sharma added that she will be the “biggest cheerleader” for the company.

Hindi films and series that have been released under the banner of the Clean Slate Filmz include NH10 (2015), Phillauri (2017), Pari (2018), Paatal Lok (2020), and Bulbbul (2020).

Dileep’s Conspiracy to Murder Case: Crime Branch Uncovers Cyber Expert Sai Sankar’s Involvement

BY Chandhini R On

The Kerala crime branch has found a new lead in actor Dileep’s conspiracy to murder case. Investigation has revealed that a cyber expert named Sai Sankar had helped the accused in deleting data from the phones that were later submitted to the court.

Dileep is currently under trial as the chief conspirator behind the 2017 female actor abduction and sexual assault as well as under investigation for allegedly plotting to kill the officers involved in that case.

It may be noted that as per HC’s order, Dileep and the other accused had submitted their mobile phones as part of the probe in the conspiracy to murder case. The gadgets are being scrutinized by cyber forensic experts. The crime branch had earlier said that some of the phones that were surrendered to the court’s registry had been tampered with and had some data deleted from them before they were turned in.

In the recent development, it has been found that Sankar had rented rooms from January 29 to 31 in two luxury hotels in Kochi, where he cleared data from the phones in question. He had reportedly also gone to the house of Dileep’s lawyer and had accessed Wi-Fi from there as well as the hotels. Data such as WhatsApp calls, chats, phone calls and personal information are said to have been removed from the phone.

The police has seized the iMac laptop allegedly used by Sankar to delete data from the phones.

It is notable that Sankar had earlier claimed that crime branch officials had harassed him into giving a statement against Dileep. He filed a petition at Kerala High Court stating that he was threatened by crime branch officials into providing a statement that he had seen some visuals on the actor’s phone, which were later destroyed under the direction of Dileep and his lawyers. He said that, contrary to this, he had not tampered with the contents of the phone but had only transferred some photos from it to a pen drive, as per the actor’s request.

On Thursday, the police raided Sankar’s flats in Kozhikode and summoned him for an investigation on Friday. However, he did not appear for the interrogation citing Covid-19 symptoms and has sought permission to appear after 10 days.

For a full timeline of the female actor abduction and assault case, see here.

‘Legislation Based on Hema Committee Report will be Drawn Up’: Minister Saji Cherian

BY Chandhini R On

Legislation will be drawn up, 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, Culture Minister Saji Cherian said on Thursday, while speaking at the inauguration of the renovated Kairali-Nila-Sree theatre complex in Thiruvananthapuram. 

The minister’s announcement comes close on the heels of the Kerala High Court order directing production houses to institute Internal Complaints Committees (ICCs) as per the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) PoSH Act, 2013.  The order was passed in the PIL filed by the Women in Cinema Collective (WCC), demanding the establishment of grievance redressal cells in film bodies.

The minister said that a date has been finalised for a meeting with all stakeholders in the Malayalam film industry, including the WCC, and the suggestions made then will be used in preparing the draft legislation.

He noted that changes need to be implemented from top to bottom of the film industry and there needs to be an awareness that women and men are equal.

Earlier in the day, speaking in the Assembly, the minister had reiterated that the Hema Committee report cannot be published as it was not set up under the Commission of Inquiry Act. He added that Justice K Hema herself had told the government not to make the report public and to keep it confidential as it includes the private accounts of many women. 

However, he had mentioned that legislation based on its recommendations would be forthcoming. 

Headed by retired judge Hema, the committee 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. It aimed to study gender disparity, sexual harassment, and other such issues faced by women in the Malayalam film industry. Many women testified before the commission, describing their traumatic experiences. A report was subsequently submitted to the government on December 31, 2019.  Since then, one of the fights of the WCC has been to get the Hema Commission report published. 

Female Actor Assault Case: Survivor Alleges Dileep’s Lawyers of Professional Misconduct; Bar Council Notes Complaint Not in Order

BY Chandhini R On

The female actor, who survived the 2017 abduction and sexual assault, filed a complaint to the Bar Council of Kerala against the lawyers of actor Dileep, with allegations of professional misconduct.

Actor Dileep stands as the chief conspirator in the 2017 assault case and is currently facing trial for it. On January 9, 2022, the Kerala Crime Branch filed a new FIR against the actor and his associates, for plotting to murder the officers who investigated the assault case. The FIR was registered following the release of audio clips implicating the accused by filmmaker Balachandra Kumar. 

Moreover, the survivor’s complaint alleged that Senior Advocate B Raman Pillai and two junior lawyers Advocates Philip T Varghese and Sujesh Menon, who have been representing Dileep, had attempted to influence 20 prosecution witnesses in the case, who later turned hostile during the trial. Alleging the lawyers of illegal and unethical conduct, she urged the council to take necessary actions against them.

The survivor further claimed that the incriminating data on mobile phones of the accused were destroyed at Pillai’s office, after the HC directed them to submit the phones in the registry. It was argued that Pillai reportedly went to the private forensic lab in Mumbai and was involved in destroying the data on the mobile phones.

As per the complaint, she went on to contend that Pillai had offered Rs 25 lakhs and five cents of land to a key prosecution witness in the case in order to influence him through an agent. She noted that the crime branch has registered a case against him in the matter, also issueing a notice for interrogation.

However, the senior advocate has not appeared for the probe. Instead, he went on to convince the Bar Association to issue a statement in his defence.

Pointing out to media reports, the survivor also said that filmmaker Balachandrakumar had released an audio clip that accused Advocate Varghese of paying Rs 5 lakhs to a prime witness in the case, to turn hostile for the trial. The lawyer is said to have personally visited the witness, for the same.

On Wednesday, the Bar Council asked the survivor to submit a proper complaint, after rectifying all the defects in it. The reply statement was enclosed with a copy of the rules and procedures that needed to be followed, while filing a complaint against an advocate. 

For a full timeline of the female actor abduction and assault case, see here.

Kerala HC Orders Malayalam Film Production Houses to Set Up ICC, Following WCC’s PIL

BY Chandhini R On

Kerala High Court on Thursday ordered film production houses in the Malayalam industry to form an internal complaints committee (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. The order was passed by a division bench with Chief Justice S Manikumar and Justice Shaji P Chaly, following the PIL filed by the Women in Cinema Collective (WCC), demanding the establishment of a grievance redressal cell in the Association of Malayalam Movie Artists (AMMA) and other film bodies in the industry.

The bench noted that AMMA has volunteered to constitute an ICC, following the provisions of the PoSH Act. It also directed that other associations like the Film Employees Federation of Kerala (FEFKA), the Kerala Film Chamber of Commerce (KFC) and the Malayalam Cine Technicians Association (MACTA) that have more than 10 employees, need to set up an ICC. 

Earlier, AMMA had filed an affidavit before the court saying that it has no objection to forming the ICC as per law, reiterating that it was included in the process of forming the committee.

Recently, AMMA announced the formation of an ICC to address the grievances of its members in a circular dated March 10. It noted that actor Shwetha Menon, who is also the vice president of AMMA, will be the ICC’s presiding officer, while other members included actors Rachana Narayanankutty, Kukku Parameswaran and Maala Parvathi. The circular also states that a lawyer will be appointed to the committee during its next meeting on Saturday.

This order comes in at a time, when a young woman raised a complaint against debutant filmmaker Liju Krishna for allegedly raping and abusing her for two years. The survivor mentioned that there was no official grievance redressal cell on the sets to complain about the sexual abuse.

In a positive move, the makers of the upcoming Malayalam film 1744 WA (White Alto), Kabinii Films, voluntarily established an ICC to address complaints of sexual harassment and misconduct complaints on their sets.

It may be noted that the WCC was formed by 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, in the aftermath of the 2017 female actor abduction and sexual assault incident.

Since then, they have been constantly demanding the establishment of ICC/Grievance Redressal Cell in the Malayalam film industry. In 2018,  a PIL was filed by the WCC seeking the same, and in February 2022, Kerala’s Women Commission also stressed the same and added itself as a respondent in the petition.

Kerala HC Refuses to Stay Probe Against Dileep

BY Chandhini R On

The Kerala High Court, on Thursday, refused 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, Onmanorama reported. 

On January 9, the Kerala crime branch had filed an FIR against Dileep and his associates in the conspiracy to murder case. The FIR was filed based on allegations raised by filmmaker Balachandra Kumar. Dileep then moved the High Court seeking to quash the case or transfer the investigation to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).

Appearing for Dileep, lawyers B Raman Pillai, Philip T Varghese and Thomas T Varghese sought to stay the probe until the court makes a decision on his plea seeking to quash the FIR or transfer the investigation to the CBI. However, Justice K Haripal noted that the investigation in the case cannot be halted. 

The court, while observing that the matter requires a detailed hearing, said that it can be taken up after the High Court’s summer vacation from April 11 to May 17. However, the actor’s counsel sought an earlier date for hearing, noting that there was an urgency. The court approved the request and listed the matter for final hearing on March 28. 

According to a recent forensic report by the Kerala police, Dileep allegedly tampered with the mobile phones submitted as evidence to the Kerala High Court registry. In a statement to the High Court, Dileep called the crime branch’s false and fabricated. 

As part of the investigation, the HC had directed the accused to submit their mobile phones on January 29. According to the forensic report, four phones were either formatted or had the data in them deleted at Labindia Private Limited in Mumbai on January 29 and 30.

In his statement, Dileep has contended that it is ‘not illegal for the users to extract, restore or delete data from their phones’. Regarding the deletion of 12 WhatsApp messages from his phone, he said that it is a regular practice among users of the messaging platform.

For a full timeline of the female actor abduction and assault case, see here.

Marvel Studios Denounces ‘All Legislation’ Infringing on LGBTQIA+ Rights Amidst Disney’s ‘Don’t Say Gay’ Bill Row

BY Shrija Ganguly On

Marvel Studios has denounced “all legislation” infringing on the rights of the LGBTQIA+ community in a statement, on Tuesday, even as its parent company Disney is embroiled in a controversy over Florida’s ‘Don’t Say Gay’ bill.

“We strongly denounce any and ALL legislation that infringes on the basic human rights of the LGBTQIA+ community. Marvel Studios stands for hope, inclusivity, and strength; and we proudly stand with the community. Today, we pledge to continue our strong commitment as allies who promote the values of equality, acceptance and respect,” read Marvel’s statement.

Earlier, Disney drew criticism for previously having donated money to all sponsors of the recently-passed legislation in Florida known as the ‘Don’t Say Gay’ bill, which limits discussions on sexual orientation and gender identity in schools.

Following this, Disney’s CEO Bob Chapek sent out a company-wide email expressing the multimedia giant’s “unwavering commitment to the LGBTQ+ community.” However, there was dissatisfaction over Disney not publicly addressing the issue.

Chapek later spoke about the company’s opposition to the legislation during a shareholders meeting, last week. He had further pledged $5 million to the Human Rights Campaign and other LGBTQIA+ rights organisations.

However, this was seen as a soft response by both outsiders and those within the company.

The Human Rights Campaign refused to accept the donation until Disney took “meaningful action” against Florida’s legislation.

Further, a letter from LGBTQIA+ employees of Pixar and their allies accused the CEO of not taking a concrete stance to support the community, throughout the shareholders meeting. They felt that there was, instead, an attempt “to placate both sides.” Hateful messages shared during the Q&A portion of the meeting were not condemned either, they added.

The letter also pointed out that Chapek’s assertion of support “rang hollow” when executives at Disney have actively been censoring LGBTQIA+ content in Pixar films.

The employees called for Disney’s executives to “immediately withdraw all financial support from the legislators behind the ‘Don’t Say Gay’ bill” and to “fully denounce this legislation publicly” to make amends for their financial involvement.

Following this, Chapek apologised to Disney’s LGBTQ+ employees, via an email, and said, “I missed the mark in this case but I am an ally you can count on — and I will be an outspoken champion for the protections, visibility, and opportunity you deserve.” He further announced that the media giant would pause all political donations in Florida while restructuring the framework of its political giving.

The CEO’s words, however, could not pacify Disney’s staff, who now plan to protest in person and virtually for a week, starting Tuesday. “The recent statements by The Walt Disney Company (TWDC) leadership regarding the Florida legislature’s ‘Don’t Say Gay’ bill have utterly failed to match the magnitude of the threat to LGBTQIA+ safety represented by this legislation,” the organisers stated, on the newly launched website whereischapek.com.

“While we certainly appreciate Bob Chapek’s apology note, there is still more work to be done,” the open letter added, and went on to list a set of demands, including publicly committing to an actionable plan to protect employees from such hateful legislation and rather than pausing, indefinitely ceasing all campaign donations to the politicians involved in the creation and passage of the ‘Don’t Say Gay’ bill.

Forensic Expert Alleges Police Forced Him to Give Statement Against Dileep; Kerala HC Intervenes

BY Chandhini R On

A forensic expert named Sai Sankar has claimed that he was harassed into giving a statement against actor Dileep, who is currently under trial as the chief conspirator behind the 2017 female actor abduction and sexual assault as well as under investigation for allegedly plotting to kill the officers involved in that case.

Sankar filed a petition at Kerala High Court stating that he was threatened by crime branch officials into providing a statement that he had seen some visuals on the actor’s phone, which were later destroyed under the direction of Dileep and his lawyers.

In his plea, the forensic expert said that Deputy Superintendent of Police Baiju Paulose and Superintendent of Police Sudharsanan of the Thrissur Crime Branch had coerced him and his wife to give the statements against Dileep.

Sankar further claimed that he was framed in two cases earlier over his enmity with Paulose and the officers had assured him that these charges would be dropped if he provided evidence against the actor.

The High Court has strictly directed officials of the crime branch to not summon Sankar for questioning without prior notice and scheduled his plea for hearing on Monday by Justice Anu Sivaraman.

Sankar told the court that he had met Dileep in the office of the actor’s advocate, and as per Dileep’s requirement, photos from his phone were transferred to the pen drive. However, there was no tampering with the contents of the phone, he stated.

It may be noted that on the HC’s order, Dileep and the other accused had surrendered their mobile phones as part of the probe into the alleged conspiracy to murder case. The gadgets are being scrutinised by cyber forensic experts. 

The crime branch had earlier said that some of the phones that were submitted to the court had been tampered with and had some data deleted from them before they were turned in.

In a recent development on this front, forensic experts have determined that a particular laptop was used to delete data from Dileep’s phone. It has further been found that the laptop used for deleting the data belonged to an accused in a cheating case.

An accomplice of the actor had reportedly got in touch with the owner of the laptop, whose identity has not been revealed by the investigators. The laptop was online in Kochi and the person had logged into it using the name of a woman running a clothing shop in Kozhikode. As per preliminary findings, incriminating data against Dileep in the conspiracy to murder case was deleted from the phone with the help of the unnamed laptop owner.

The police are still working on retrieving the lost data.

 

For a full timeline of the female actor abduction and assault case, see here.

Chennai Court Dismisses Leena Manimekalai’s Plea to Transfer Susi Ganesan’s Defamation Case

BY Anusha Sundar On

Chennai Sessions Court has dismissed poet-filmmaker Leena Manimekalai’s plea to transfer the criminal defamation case filed against her by director Susi Ganesan at the Saidapet Magistrate court.

Leena had filed the petition seeking to transfer the case to a different court citing bias on the part of the presiding magistrate. The Sessions Court, however, observed that the allegations levied against the court’s presiding officer were unfounded and dismissed her plea.

This is part of the ongoing legal battle between Leena and Ganesan after she named him as her abuser during the #MeToo movement. Ganesan had filed the criminal defamation suit against Leena in 2019, after she accused him of sexual assault.

Following this, Ganesan moved the Saidapet Magistrate Court to impound Leena’s passport, just as she was about to travel abroad to complete her Master of Fine Arts (MFA) programme, citing the pending defamation case. Leena’s passport was consequently impounded in September 2021. She challenged this at the Madras High Court, which eventually overturned the order and directed the authorities to return her passport.

Ganesan then filed a special leave petition against the Madras HC order at the Supreme Court. However, the apex court refused to interfere. Supreme Court had also directed the Saidapet Magistrate to swiftly complete the trial in the defamation case, preferably within four months.

During the hearing on Monday, Leena expressed doubts about how impartial the trial conducted at the Magistrate court would be. She further said that the Saidapet Magistrate had considered the “whims and fancies” of Ganesan, thus favouring him. Hence, she appealed for transferring the case to another competent court to protect her fundamental rights.

However, the Sessions Court said that a mere apprehension that justice will not be done in a given case, could not be grounds for transferring it. Concluding that there was no merit in Leena’s arguments, and adding that “the allegations made against the presiding officer are unfounded and invented for the purpose of transfer petition,” the court dismissed her plea to transfer the case to another court.

Meanwhile, Leena was recently selected as one of 10 participants in BAFTA’s Breakthrough India initiative. Supported by Netflix, the programme will provide the participants with global networking opportunities, free access to BAFTA events and screenings for 12 months, and full BAFTA voting membership.

Madras HC Reserves Order in Actor Vijay’s Plea Against Penalty on Entry Tax for Imported Car

BY Chandhini R On

The Madras High Court reserved its orders, on Monday, in actor Vijay‘s petition challenging a notice issued by the Commercial Taxes department in September 2021, demanding a penalty on the entry tax for his imported BMW X5 car.

In 2005, when the actor imported the luxury car from the US, he had filed a writ petition with the HC against the demand for entry tax and obtained an interim order to get the vehicle registered with the concerned Regional Transport Office. This plea was dismissed in 2019.

Following this, the Commercial Taxes department passed an assessment order and demanded that Vijay pay the full entry tax along with a penalty amount.

The actor had paid only the tax amount of Rs 7.98 lakh in September 2021, under protest, and challenged the demand of penalty and recovery notices issued to him. In January 2022, he filed for a new plea challenging the notice from the tax department.

Vijay mentioned in his plea that the import duty for the car was already paid and added that there was uncertainty over the applicability of the Tamil Nadu Tax on Entry of Motor Vehicles into Local Areas Act of 1990. However, in 2017, the Supreme Court upheld the state government’s authority to levy entry tax on foreign goods.

When Vijay’s plea was heard by Justice R Suresh Kumar on Monday, the Additional Advocate General (AAG) Haja Nazirudeen, appearing for the Commercial Taxes department, noted that the actor did not pay his tax liabilities nor file returns voluntarily, even after the 14-year-old case was dismissed.

He told the court that the department had sent several notices to the actor, between March and July 2021, seeking the details of import and freight charges. When no responses were received from him, the officials gathered details of the car from the RTO, which revealed that the car was worth was Rs 63.84 lakh. In September 2021, the authorities used this information to calculate that an entry tax of Rs 7.98 lakh and an interest penalty of Rs 30.23 lakh were due.

The AAG said that though the actor claimed to have sold the car in 2009, the sale could not free him from his liabilities since he was the original importer of the vehicle. The AAG thus urged the HC to dismiss the writ petition filed by the actor.

After hearing all arguments, the judge reserved his verdict.

Meanwhile, Vijay was recently spotted in a red Maruti Celerio car when he went to cast his vote in the urban civic polls. Following this, rumours surfaced on social media that he had defaulted on the insurance payment for the car. Reacting to these rumours, the actor’s PR manager, Riaz K, shared a copy of the actor’s car insurance, showing that it is valid till May 28, 2022.

Shilpa Shetty and Sister Shamita Shetty Get Relief in Non-Repayment of Loan Case

BY Anindita Banerjee On

A Mumbai sessions court, on Monday, stayed the proceedings initiated against actor Shilpa Shetty and her sister Shamita Shetty in connection with the alleged non-repayment of a loan.

The court, however, said the proceedings against their mother, Sunanda Shetty, can continue.

In February, the Andheri magistrate court had issued an order summoning Shetty, her sister, and their mother following a complaint by a businessman alleging that they failed to repay a loan. The complainant, an automobile agency owner, claimed that the trio had cheated him of Rs 21 lakh, which the actor’s father, Surendra Shetty, had borrowed from him in 2015.

He alleged that the loan was given to Corgifts, a Shetty family firm, but he was not repaid the money after the demise of Shetty’s father. He said the loan was borrowed at an annual interest rate of 18% and was due in January 2017. However, Surendra Shetty had died in October 2016, and the sisters and their mother allegedly refused to repay the loan despite having prior knowledge of it.

Shetty and her family had moved the Dindoshi sessions court challenging the proceedings initiated against them by the Andheri court.

In her plea before the sessions court, Shetty said that she and her sister were being involved in the case because they were actors and the objective was to hurt their public standing and use criminal proceedings to extort the amount from them.

The sessions court noted that the actors’ parents were partners in the firm. However, no document was filed to show that the actors themselves were connected to the firm or had anything to do with the loan.

It thus ruled that “the order passed by the trial court against applicant Shilpa Shetty Kundra and Shamita Shetty whereby the process is issued, is hereby stayed against them,” adding that the magistrate court can proceed against Sunanda.

The sessions court has posted the matter for further hearing on March 25.

Director Jane Campion Apologises to Venus and Serena Williams for Comment at Critics Choice Awards 2022

BY Shrija Ganguly On

Filmmaker Jane Campion has apologised to tennis players Venus and Serena Williams for her comment directed at them during her acceptance speech at the Critics Choice Awards on Sunday.

Campion’s film The Power of the Dog bagged the Best Film and Best Director awards at the event, and when accepting the latter, the director had said, “And you know, Serena and Venus, you are such marvels. However, you do not play against the guys like I have to.”

The statement drew criticism from netizens, who called the comment racist and insulting to the tennis champions.

Writer Naomi Faingold wrote on Twitter, “Is Jane Campion aware what Venus and Serena had to deal with in the whitest of sports? What an insulting comparison. She must have not watched King Richard. Serena Williams was right when she recently wrote, ‘No matter how far we come, we get reminded that it’s not enough.'”

Roxane Gay, author of the book Bad Feminist, said that it is “amazing how much real estate the Williams occupy in people’s minds,” and continued, “And in addition to the racism of it all, Campion is suggesting that competing against men is more difficult/legitimate than competing against women. Has she met women?”

Carolyn Hinds, a freelance critic and podcaster, wrote on Twitter, “What Jane Campion said in her speech was not funny or appropriate. It was racist. White people laughing, and thinking it was valid shows why there’s still so many damn issues in this industry. They’re okay with the casual racism because they don’t see racism the way we do.”

Journalist Ernest Owens pointed out that had the Williams sisters responded to Campion’s statement, the attention would have turned toward them. “Black people are often forced to choose between speaking up or total isolation,” he wrote.

Following the wide-spread criticism of her remark, Campion has issued an apology to the tennis players.

In a statement shared with the LA Times, the filmmaker termed her comment “thoughtless” and wrote that it was not intended to devalue the athletes.

“The fact is the Williams sisters have, actually, squared off against men on the court (and off), and they have both raised the bar and opened doors for what is possible for women in this world,” Campion continued, adding, “The last thing I would ever want to do is minimise remarkable women. I love Serena and Venus. Their accomplishments are titanic and inspiring. Serena and Venus, I apologise and completely celebrate you.”

The tennis players were present at the Critics Choice Awards to support the film King Richard, which is based on their father Richard Williams. Will Smith, who essayed the titular role, won the Best Actor award at the event.

It is notable that King Richard is nominated alongside Campion’s film in the Best Picture category at the upcoming Academy Awards. The Power of the Dog is generally considered to be the frontrunner.

Actor Rupa Dutta Arrested for Alleged Theft, Remanded to Custody for a Day

BY Namrata Ganguly On

Bengali actor Rupa Dutta was arrested for allegedly committing theft at the International Kolkata Book Fair, the police said on Sunday.

She was produced before a local court on Sunday, which remanded her to police custody for a day.

Dutta was arrested by the Bidhannagar North police station on Saturday evening, after the police found several wallets, containing cash amounting to around Rs 65,000, in her possession. Moreover, officials had also witnessed her dumping some wallets in a dustbin.

Following this, she was detained and questioned by the police. However, she failed to give any satisfactory answers, according to a senior police officer of the Bidhannagar Police Commissionerate.

The police reportedly also found a diary in her bag, in which she maintained a record of her alleged stealing or pickpocketing. In addition to this, the diary contained names of crowded spots in Kolkata, which are said to have been the actor’s usual targets.

Dutta has been booked under IPC sections 379 (theft) and 411 (dishonestly receiving stolen property) after sub-inspector Jayanta Nath Saha of Bidhannagar North Police Station filed a complaint.

Saha said the actor was arrested in connection with “kepmari” (attention-diverting theft) and noted that further investigation is underway to find out whether more people are connected with the crime.

When she was produced in court on Sunday, Dutta claimed that she had seen the bag with the wallets lying inside the dustbin as she was dumping a cold drink bottle. The actor further said that she had simply picked up the bag that was already in the bin when she found herself arrested by the police officer.

The court reportedly questioned the police about why there were no eye-witness statements or complaints from victims of the alleged theft.

Dutta was previously in the news in 2020, when she had accused filmmaker Anurag Kashyap of sending her inappropriate and sexually-suggestive messages on Facebook in 2014. She had also shared screenshots of the same on Twitter. However, it was later revealed that the person who had sent the messages was someone else with the same first name as the filmmaker.

Oscar-Winner William Hurt Passes Away at 71

BY Shrija Ganguly On

American actor William Hurt, who won an Oscar for the film Kiss of the Spider Woman (1985), passed away at his residence in Portland, Oregon, on Sunday. He was 71.

Hurt was diagnosed with terminal prostate cancer in 2018.

In a statement, his son, Will Hurt, wrote, “It is with great sadness that the Hurt family mourns the passing of William Hurt, beloved father and Oscar winning actor, on March 13, 2022, one week before his 72nd birthday. He died peacefully, among family, of natural causes. The family requests privacy at this time.”

Born in 1950, Hurt initially attended Tufts University and studied theology, but later quit to pursue acting. He joined a theatre group called Circle Repertory Company in 1977.

Hurt’s made his debut with Ken Russell’s 1980 film Altered States. His performance earned him a Golden Globe nomination in the New Star of the Year category. The actor went on to appear in films like Lawrence Kasdan’s Body Heat (1981) and The Big Chill (1983), among others, and earned Oscar nominations for three consecutive years, from 1985 to 1987.

His very first nomination earned him an Academy Award for his performance as Luis Alberto Molina in Hector Babenco’s Kiss of the Spider Woman.

The actor went on to work with the biggest directors of all time, including, Woody Allen in Alice (1990), Nora Ephron in Michael (1996), Stephen Hopkins in Lost in Space (1998), Istvan Szabo in Sunshine (1999), Steven Spielberg in AI Artificial Intelligence (2001), M Night Shyamalan in The Village (2004), and Robert De Niro in The Good Shepherd (2006), among others.

Hurt was married first to actor Mary Beth Hurt. Later, he went on to marry Heidi Henderson in 1989. He is survived by four children.

Members from across the film industry paid their tributes to the veteran actor.

Actor Ben Stiller wrote a Twitter thread about Hurt and his relationship with his father, that dated back to Broadway. He mentioned, “I had a chance to spend time with him (Hurt), when I was younger. My father worked with him in a play called Hurlyburly by David Rabe.”

Oscar-winning actor Russell Crowe wrote on Twitter, “William Hurt has passed. On Robin Hood, I was aware of his reputation for asking character-based questions, so I had compiled a file on the life of William Marshall. He sought me out when he arrived on set. I handed him the stack. Not sure if I’ve ever seen a bigger smile. RIP.”

“I’m so sad to hear of the passing of William Hurt. I had the privilege of directing him in The Village. He was a master of his acting craft. Every take was new and revealing,” tweeted filmmaker M Night Shyamalan.

Renowned author Stephen King wrote, “Very sorry to hear about the passing of William Hurt. He was a fine actor, an Academy Award winner. He also did a classic reading of my story Low Men in Yellow Coats, from Hearts in Atlantis. I loved hitchhiking on his immense talent.”

Marvel Studios, whose association with Hurt dates back to the 2008 film The Incredible Hulk, wrote, “Rest in Peace to an amazing talent William Hurt, beloved Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross in our Marvel Cinematic Universe.” Hurt had appeared in several superhero films based on Marvel comics as the character Thaddeus Ross, including, Avengers: Endgame.

However, Hurt’s life was not without its own scandals. Marlee Matlin, the first-ever deaf actor to win an Oscar, had said during an interview that her relationship with Hurt involved drug abuse and physical abuse.

Female Personalities Make Sexist Remarks At AMMA’s International Women’s Day Celebration

BY Chandhini R On

Some female personalities have passed sexist remarks on March 8, while speaking at an event organised by Association of Malayalam Movie Artists (AMMA).

The event, which was called Aarjava 2022, celebrated ‘The Phenomenal Women’, marking the occasion of International Women’s Day. The organisation of AMMA, dedicated to actors working in the Malayalam film industry, was instituted in 1994.

The event saw the presence of dignitaries including former Kerala Health Minister KK Shailaja, Former DGP IPS Sreelekha and Shabani Ajmal of Ajmal Bismi groups. Several artists of the Malayalam industry including Urvashi, Menaka and Mamta Mohandas also took part in the program. 

However, statements made by some artists turned out to be misogynistic and sexist. Addressing the gathering, Urvashi said, “We don’t have a habit of talking back to male family members in our family. Because we all have to eventually go back to our homes.”

She further went on to normalise harassment, noting that the problems persisted across the years and actors like Mohanlal would make sure to protect women on set. “When I started acting, Mohanlal would make sure that women went back home safely. Not just me, but all women artists and he would leave only after us. In the past and currently, the problems have persisted. Senior artists like Lalitha chechi were there to aid us with techniques to smartly handle them, without letting others know and creating chaos.”

The actor went on to add that with the current growth of social media, many related incidents are being openly addressed and expressed her sympathy after learning about recent occurrences. “Yet I think that we can’t generally blame all men because of one or few individuals who have hurt us. Hence, I thank all the men here who are rooting for us. Only with your support, we are here.”

Following which, veteran actor Menaka Sureshkumar began her speech by thanking the “men behind the new panel at AMMA.” She said, “Women are like Navaratnas (precious stones), men are gold and gold ornaments with Navaratnas are beautiful.” She also made a joke, which pointed that Edavela Babu, AMMA’s General Secretary, is a bachelor for the sake of women like Shweta and herself, who are also members of the organisation.

On the contrary, KK Shailaja spoke about the history of Women’s Day and how previous generations of women fought battles for female liberation from patriarchy. Emphasising the importance of the establishment of an Internal Complaint Cell (ICC) and need for equal pay, the actor appreciated the seminar on the Prevention of Sexual Harassment (POSH guidelines) at the workplace, conducted by AMMA. The former minister also expressed her happiness about actor Manju Warrier choosing to work after her marriage and appreciated the female actor, who was abducted and sexually assaulted in 2017, noting that she called herself a ‘survivor’,  and not a ‘victim.’ 

However, Shailaja also remarked, “Some say they were tortured for many years. Why should they wait for years to complain about it? When a bad gaze, a bad word or a bad touch, happens for the first time, we should say no and stop it. Why do we get an education, if we don’t have the courage to speak up against it and face it.”

This comes at a time, when a young woman raised a complaint against debutant filmmaker Liju Krishna for allegedly raping her for two years. Maintaining her anonymity, in a Facebook page named Women Against Sexual Harassment, the survivor mentioned that there was no official grievance redressal cell in the production to complain about the sexual abuse. She also noted that she sought a psychiatrist’s help to deal with the trauma. “But Liju Krishna had enslaved me to an extent that I couldn’t come out of the toxic relationship,” she added. 

‘Many Changed Their Statements in Court, But I’m Optimistic That I Will Get Justice’, Says Actor Bhavana about 2017 Sexual Assault

BY Chandhini R On

“Many people changed their statements in court, many things have been done to topple the case. But I’m optimistic that I will get justice,” said actor Bhavana Menon, who survived abduction and sexual assault in 2017, in an exclusive interview with The News Minute. 

On February 17, 2017, Menon, 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. Actor Dileep is under trial as the chief conspirator behind the assault.

In the recent interview with TNM, Menon said that she was thankful to the people who came together and held an event in Kochi in support of her after the incident. However, many of them soon changed their stand.

“Those who said they would tell the truth, went back on it,” she added. “Every morning, I can’t wake up and think about who will support me and who will not. These are individual choices they make. I did not give the complaint thinking that the entire industry will stand with me.”

It may be noted that several actors and witnesses in the case, such as Bindu Panicker, Idavela Babu, Bhama, and Siddique, turned hostile during the trial.

Menon, when she recently appeared in a live video interview and publicly spoke about her assault and its repercussions for the first time, revealed that she was largely shunned by the Malayalam film industry after she chose to fight for justice. She also noted that some of her friends in the industry, such as Ashiq Abu, Prithviraj Sukumaran, Jinu Abraham, Bhadran, Shaji Kailas and Jayasurya, had offered her work, but she was not in the right frame of mind to return and pretend like nothing had happened.

She expanded on this during her interview with TNM, and recalled several instances of her colleagues and friends offering their support and requesting her to not stay away from Malayalam cinema. “Prithviraj, director Jinu Abraham and Shaji Kailas approached me for a project they were doing jointly. Actor Baburaj came to my place in Bengaluru and told me to come out of this shell. Anoop Menon even offered to shoot his movie in Bengaluru so I could be a part of it,” she said.

“Ashiq Abu offered me two projects and told me that I need to come back to Malayalam cinema. Actor Nandu constantly asked me why I was keeping away, and so did director Jean Paul Lal. Director Bhadran and Hariharan told me that they had a female-oriented script for me and exhorted me quite a bit to take it up. Actor Jayasurya was shooting in Thrissur once, I remember it was my birthday. He came to my house with a cake and tried to inspire me to accept a movie. Filmmaker Vijay Babu also called once for a project. Actor Madhu Pal has been telling me for three months that there is a story I should read,” she added.

Menon revealed that she has now accepted a Malayalam film offer, the details of which will be announced shortly. 

The actor also spoke about how vital her female friendships with her peers, such as Geethu Mohandas, Samyuktha Varma, Manju Warrier, Remya Nambeesan, Sayonara Philip, Mridula Murali, Shilpa Bala, Shafna, are to her and said that she speaks to them regularly. 

She expressed her gratitude to the Women in Cinema Collective for their unwavering support. “It has also been painful to see that many of these women have lost opportunities and been at the receiving end because they pledged their support to me,” she said, naming Anjali Menon, Deedi Damodaran, Miya, Navya Nair, Parvathy, Padmapriya, Rima, Anumol, Kavitha Nair, Krishnaprabha, Arya Badai and Kani Kusruthi among those who stood by her.

Menon also emphasised the importance of support systems for survivors and mentioned that it would have been simply unimaginable for her to put up a fight without the support of her husband, family, friends, and colleagues. 

On deciding to break the silence and reveal her identity after almost five years, the actor said she made the choice after witnessing the huge support that poured in for her recently after the case gained momentum again following filmmaker Balachandra Kumar’s allegations against the accused late last year. “From December onwards, there was so much support and love from people, and I decided that it was important to tell everyone how thankful I am. That is the reason I put up that Instagram post, as my response to all the support,” she said, adding that her recent video interview was not planned either. 

Producer Bellamkonda Suresh & Actor Sai Sreenivas Booked for Cheating; ‘Allegations Baseless, Will File Defamation Case,’ Says Producer

BY Anusha Sundar On

Telugu film producer Bellamkonda Suresh and his son, actor Bellamkonda Sai Sreenivas, were booked by the Hyderabad police on Friday, after a financier alleged that the duo had cheated him of Rs 85 lakh.

The case was booked by Central Crime Station (CCS) police following the order of a city court. Financier VL Sravan Kumar had approached the court alleging that Suresh and Sreenivas received money from him in instalments since 2018 to make a movie. He further claimed that Suresh had promised to name him an assistant producer in a film directed by Malineni Gopichand. However, neither promise had been kept and the father-son duo had cheated him, the financier said.

Based on Sravan’s complaint, the court ordered the police to file charges against the duo. Subsequently, a case has been registered under IPC Sections 406 (criminal breach of trust), 417, 420 (cheating), and 120 B (criminal conspiracy). The police also asked Sravan to provide necessary documentation and to record his statement.

Suresh, who predominantly produces Telugu films, has earlier backed films such as Rabhasa (2014), Kandireega (2011), and Shambo Shiva Shambo (2010). His son Sreenivas was last seen in the Telugu film Alludu Adhurs (2021).

Reacting to the registration of the cheating case, Suresh organised a press meet at Hyderabad on Saturday morning and flatly denied the allegations against him. The producer said, “I have not taken a single rupee from anyone. If there is proof, he should produce them before the police and the media. I am ready for any kind of punishment. He claims that this happened in 2018. If that is the case, why he did not make a single phone call to me? He should also produce his call history as proof.”

Suresh further said that he will file a defamation case on Sravan. “I will not tolerate anyone trying to harm my children. I will resort to legal measures to tackle this situation. They are just trying to bring my sons down. A politician is behind this and he is trying to trouble us. Soon, I will procure proof and expose the scam.”

He added that he had not received any notice from the police and said he was ready to cooperate with them, if needed.

Meanwhile, Sreenivas has several films in the pipeline, including Stuartpuram Donga, a biopic on notorious thief ‘Tiger’ Nageswara Rao. He is also part of the Telugu remake of the Tamil film Karnan and is set to make his Hindi debut with Chatrapati, a remake of the Telugu film of the same name.

Sonu Sood’s Sister Loses to AAP Candidate in Punjab General Elections

BY Namrata Ganguly On

Malvika Sood Sachar, sister of actor Sonu Sood, lost to Aam Aadmi Party’s (AAP) Amandeep Kaur Arora in the recently-concluded Punjab assembly elections. She had contested in the Moga constituency as the Indian National Congress (INC) candidate.

The Moga constituency had been a stronghold of the Congress party for over four decades, with the party winning the seat six times from 1977 to 2017.

However, Malvika Sood lost to Arora by over 20000 votes, as per the data from the Election Commission of India (ECI). While Sood received 38125 votes, Arora secured the seat with 58813 votes.

When his sister had joined Congress party in January 2022, a month ahead of the assembly polls, and announced that she would contest from Moga, Sonu Sood had wished her luck, but had said that his own work as an actor and humanitarian would continue “without any political affiliations or distractions.”

The actor had later also said that he would not be campaigning for his sister.

However, in February, an FIR was registered against Sonu Sood, after the police received information that he was allegedly campaigning for his sister at Landeke village in Moga, on the day of the polls.

During the campaign, the actor also reportedly gave speeches reminding Moga’s voters of his charitable work, especially during the pandemic.

On the day of the polls, Punjab police had seized Sonu Sood’s car based on reports of “suspicious activity” at a polling booth in Moga. The actor claimed that had discovered that bribes were being distributed by the opposition party Akali Dal at the booths and he had come to know about threat calls at various poll booths, and had stepped out to “check and ensure fair elections.”  

As per the results released by ECI, the AAP secured a historic win in Punjab, clinching 92 of the 117 seats, while Congress won 18 seats and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) secured two seats.

Disney Pauses All Business in Russia After Halting Film Releases

BY Anindita Banerjee On

The Walt Disney Company, on Thursday, announced that it will be suspending all business in Russia in the wake of the country’s “unprovoked invasion of Ukraine.”

This will include content and product licensing, Disney Cruise Line activities, National Geographic magazine and tours, local content productions, and linear channels.

This move comes a week after Disney decided to hold the release of its films in Russia, including the Pixar movie Turning Red. In fact, it was the first major studio to announce it was pausing its Russian releases.

Following Disney’s lead, several other entertainment companies, including Amazon, Netflix, WarnerMedia, Universal Pictures, and Paramount Pictures, also decided to pause releases or entirely withdraw business in Russia. These corporate moves come in addition to the heavy economic sanctions levied on Russia by countries around the world and the widespread condemnation of Russia’s escalation of the aggression in Ukraine.

In its statement on Thursday, Disney said, “Last week, after Russia’s unprovoked invasion of Ukraine, we announced that we were pausing the release of theatrical films in Russia and reviewing the rest of our businesses there. Given the unrelenting assault on Ukraine and the escalating humanitarian crisis, we are taking steps to pause all other businesses in Russia.”

“Some of those business activities we can and will pause immediately. Others—such as linear channels and some content and product licensing—will take time given contractual complexities,” the company said.

However, it added that the company’s Russia-based employees will not be laid off. “Even as we pause these businesses, we remain committed to our dedicated colleagues in Russia, who will remain employed. And we continue to work with our NGO partners to provide urgent aid and other much-needed assistance to refugees.”

Meanwhile, on a different front, Disney has been drawing criticism for its response to the ‘Don’t Say Gay’ bill in Florida, USA, which limits discussions on sexual orientation and gender identity in schools. The company had previously donated money to the sponsors of the recently-passed legislation and has taken what is seen as a soft stance to the bill. When calling this out, LGBTQIA+ employees of Pixar and their allies alleged in a letter that executives at the global media giant have been pushing them to censor LGBTQIA+ content in Pixar films.

Update: Following Disney’s move suspending all business in Russia, Sony Pictures Entertainment too has announced that it is halting all business in the country, including stopping home entertainment releases, of films such as Spider-Man: No Way Home, and any television distribution deals.

Female Actor Assault Case: Suriya, Prabhas Extend Support to Survivor

BY Chandhini R On

Actors Suriya and Prabhas, who predominantly work in Tamil and Telugu films, respectively, recently extended their support to the female actor who was abducted and sexually assaulted in 2017. 

With big-budget films releasing in theatres again, celebrities from across industries are travelling to different cities for promotions. Earlier this week, both Suriya and Prabhas were in Kochi, to promote their films Etharkkum Thuninthavan and Radhe Shyam, respectively. When the two actors were asked about their take on the 2017 assault case during media interactions, they spoke in support of the survivor. 

Suriya said that although he was not aware of all the details of the case, he wished to extend his support to the survivor. “Whatever has happened is extremely unfair. It cannot happen to women in our society, that too in these modern times. We must ensure that such things do not happen again,” he added.

Prabhas, on the other hand, when asked about his view on the case and what he thought about the survivor’s fight for justice, noted that it is essential for everyone to support women. “Not just actors, businessmen or the media, but everyone should support women,” he said.

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. Malayalam actor Dileep is currently facing trial as the chief conspirator behind the incident. 

In January this year, breaking her long silence, the survivor 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. Later that same day, stalwarts of the Malayalam film industry, Mammootty and Mohanlal, shared the survivor’s post on their Instagram pages. Mammootty had written, “With you,” while Mohanlal said, “Respect.”

However, the star actors’ “late reaction” to the actor assault case drew criticism from social media users. Further, Women in Cinema Collective (WCC), an organisation of women working in the Malayalam film industry, expressed disappointment that this support wasn’t forthcoming to the survivor when she needed it the most. WCC urged for more consequential action from the film fraternity. Actor Rima Kallingal noted that merely re-sharing social media posts was doing “too little, too late.”

Female Actor Assault Case: SC Grants Bail to Second Accused Martin Antony

BY Chandhini R On

The Supreme Court, on Wednesday, granted bail to Martin Antony, the second accused in the 2017 female actor abduction and sexual assault case, in which actor Dileep is charged as the chief conspirator.

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. Martin was the one who drove the car while the assault took place. 

His bail was granted by a bench consisting of Justices Ajay Rastogi and AS Oka. Martin has been in jail for five years and the bench noted that it is not clear when the trial in the 2017 case will be over. 

Senior advocate Ranjith Kumar and standing counsel Nishe Rajan Shankar, representing the prosecution, had opposed Martin’s bail plea citing that the crime would not have taken place if he had not been involved. The prosecution also highlighted the possibility of first accused Pulsar Suni and others seeking bail if Martin’s plea was granted.

It is notable that some of the other accused in the case, including Dileep, have previously been granted bail.

On January 9, the Kerala Crime Branch filed a new FIR against Dileep and his associates for plotting to kill the officers who investigated the assault case. The new case was registered following the release of audio clips implicating the accused by filmmaker Balachandra Kumar.

In February, Dileep was granted anticipatory bail in this new FIR, after which he moved the High Court seeking to quash the new case. A probe is currently underway in this matter, and the High Court recently dismissed the actor’s plea seeking to suspend further investigation. The probe team has been directed to conclude the investigation by April 15.

On Wednesday, the two-judge bench dismissed the Kerala government counsels’ request to not grant Martin bail until the probe into the alleged conspiracy to kill the investigating cops, was concluded. The court also refused to impose the stringent bail conditions that were demanded by the prosecution.

For a full timeline of the female actor abduction and assault case, see here.

Ryan Coogler, ‘Black Panther’ Director, Mistaken for Bank Robber and Detained

BY Anindita Banerjee On

Ryan Coogler, the director of Black Panther, was mistaken for a bank robber and briefly detained by police in Atlanta, Georgia in January, a police report filed on Wednesday stated.

Coogler was in the state to film Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, the sequel to his 2018 blockbuster, at the time of the incident.

Confirming the news, Coogler told Variety, “This situation should never have happened. However, Bank of America (the bank where the incident occurred) worked with me and addressed it to my satisfaction and we have moved on.”

According to the report, the filmmaker was detained and handcuffed when he went to Bank of America to withdraw some cash on January 7. Coogler was wearing black sunglasses, a hat, and a mask when he appeared in front of a teller at the bank. He handed over the withdrawal slip with a note, which reportedly read, “I would like to withdraw $12,000 cash from my checking account. Please do the money count somewhere else. I’d like to be discreet.”

However, the withdrawal amount being greater than $10,000 triggered an alert notification from the director’s account and the teller misunderstood the situation and reported it as an robbery attempt to her boss. The bank officials called the Atlanta police, who, upon arrival, detained two of Coogler’s colleagues, who were waiting for him outside the bank in a car with the engine running. The police then handcuffed the director and brought him out of the bank.

But, after confirming Coogler’s identity and his Bank of America account, the officers released him and his colleagues.

Regarding the mix-up, a Bank of America spokesperson told Variety, “We deeply regret that this incident occurred. It never should have happened and we have apologised to Mr Coogler.”

As per bodycam footage of the incident, obtained by TMZ, it took about 10 to 15 minutes for the police officers to sort out the confusion and uncuff the filmmaker.

Dileep’s Conspiracy to Murder Case: Phones Submitted to Court Tampered With, Says Crime Branch

BY Chandhini R On

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.

Dileep is under trial as the chief conspirator behind the 2017 actor assault. On January 9, this year, the Kerala Crime Branch filed a new FIR against the actor and his associates for plotting to kill the officers who investigated the assault case. The FIR was registered following the release of audio clips implicating the accused by filmmaker Balachandra Kumar. 

As part of the investigation, the HC directed the accused to submit their mobile phones on January 29. According to the forensic report, four phones were either formatted or had the data in them deleted at Labindia Private Limited in Mumbai on January 29 and 30. The accused eventually submitted the mobile phones to the court registry on February 20.

After the forensic report revealed that Dileep had tampered with the phones that were surrendered, on Wednesday, the crime branch recorded the statement of one Yogendra Yadav, head of Labindia Private Limited, which was engaged by the actor to remove data from the phones in question. Yadav informed the police that the lab was paid Rs 75,000 per phone for removing data from them.

While the Crime Branch is attempting to recover the lost data, a Times of India report states that a forensic analysis of a hard disk seized from the Mumbai lab is expected to reveal to what extent the accused have tampered with the evidence. A source told the publication that the seized hard disk has been sent to Thiruvananthapuram Forensic Lab. The source further added that of the four phones that had data removed from them by Labindia, only two were submitted to the High Court. The other two, belonging to Dileep’s brother-in-law Suraj, were not produced in court despite the order.

The investigators have so far questioned three people connected to Labindia as well as the person who introduced Dileep’s lawyers to the lab.

Meanwhile, on Wednesday, the Crime Branch also revealed that a former employee of Dileep has given a statement incriminating the actor and his associates. In his statement, the former employee said that he had witnessed Dileep’s brother Anoop threatening to deal with Pulsar Suni, the first accused in the assault case, once he leaves jail. He also said that Dileep’s lawyer had asked him to testify that the conversation with Balachandra Kumar, which triggered the renewed investigation, never happened.

It may be noted that the High Court granted Dileep conditional pre-arrest bail in the conspiracy to murder case on February 7, noting that there appeared to be no material to suggest that the actor had been engaged in a criminal conspiracy targetting the investigating officers.

A week later, the actor moved HC seeking to quash the FIR or, failing that, to at least transfer the investigation to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). His plea, filed through advocate Philip T Varghese, alleged that the FIR is a vindictive move by the Kerala police and claimed that an unbiased investigation was unlikely as the petitioners in the case are all senior officials in the department.

On Tuesday, the Crime Branch opposed the actor’s petition and countered, in its response filed before the HC, that it was a “bundle of lies and distorted facts.” The police agency also told the court that the materials collected so far suggest a “dangerous state of affairs” and the lives of several senior police officers, who probed the 2017 female actor sexual assault case, are under threat. 

For a full timeline of the female actor abduction and assault case, see here.

Mumbai Court Rejects Kangana Ranaut’s Plea to Transfer Javed Akhtar’s Defamation Case

BY Namrata Ganguly On

A Sessions Court in Mumbai, on Wednesday, rejected the application filed by actor Kangana Ranaut seeking to transfer the defamation case filed against her by lyricist Javed Akhtar to a different judge.

The court also turned down another plea filed by Ranaut to transfer her cross-complaint against Akhtar outside Mumbai’s Andheri. This complaint is an extortion case against the lyricist, which was filed by the actor in response to his defamation case.

The defamation case dates back to November 2020, when Akhtar had filed a complaint against Ranaut alleging that she had made defamatory remarks about him during an interview with Republic TV after the death of actor Sushant Singh Rajput by suicide. In the interview that aired on July 19, 2020, Ranaut said that some of the senior members of the Hindi film industry, including Akhtar, were part of a “gang” that was against “outsiders.”

The latest plea was the actor’s sixth attempt to transfer the case to a different judge.

Earlier in January, Ranaut had moved the Mumbai Sessions Court challenging the Magistrate Court’s dismissal of her plea seeking transfer of her extortion case against Akhtar.

In December 2021, the Chief Metropolitan Magistrates Court had dismissed the actor’s plea seeking transfer of this complaint on the grounds of alleged bias of the Andheri Magistrate hearing the defamation case. Ranaut had said that she did not wish to proceed with her extortion complaint before the same judge.

In the extortion case, the actor alleged that during her public spat with actor Hrithik Roshan in 2016, Akhtar invited Ranaut and her sister Rangoli Chandel to his house with malafide intentions and forced her to give a written apology to Roshan. She also claimed that the veteran lyricist threatened her with dire consequences if she refused.

Ranaut’s latest plea invoked the jurisdiction of the Sessions Court under section 408 of the CrPC (Power of Sessions Judge to transfer cases and appeals) after the Additional Sessions Judge SU Baghele rejected her revision application on three technical grounds. However, the fresh application was also rejected on Wednesday by Additional Sessions Judge SM Bhosale.

Sexual Assault Lawsuit Against Prince Andrew Formally Dismissed after Settlement

BY Anindita Banerjee On

Virginia Giuffre’s sexual assault lawsuit against Prince Andrew was formally dismissed by a US court on Tuesday. This comes weeks after the two parties agreed on a financial settlement.

In February, Giuffre and Andrew’s attorneys filed court papers stating that they had reached an agreement in principle to settle the suit. The settlement amount has not been disclosed, but is reported to be between £10-12 million.

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 when she was a minor. She 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 has, since the beginning of the case, denied the allegations and the out-of-court settlement announced in February made no admission of guilt. However, it said that Andrew “regrets his association with Epstein, and commends the bravery of Ms Giuffre and other survivors in standing up for themselves and others.” The settlement also said Andrew would make a “substantial donation” to Giuffre’s charity in support of sexual assault victims.

The dismissal of the case comes as a respite for Prince Andrew, who was stripped of his military duties and royal patronages by the British royal family in January, after the US District Court of New York turned down his plea for dismissal of Giuffre’s lawsuit.

Andrew had argued that he was immune from any liability based on a 2009 agreement between Giuffre and Epstein. However, the court noted that his immunity under the settlement in question was ambiguous, since it did not mention him explicitly.