A prime accused in the recent attack on filmmaker Prakash Jha on the sets of his upcoming web series Aashram 3, is a Bajrang Dal leader who was previously convicted of murder, according to NDTV.
Suresh Sudele, the Prant Pramukh (regional head) of the Bhopal Unit of Bajrang Dal, was one of the seven men arrested for the attack on the sets of Ashram in October. All seven were let out on bail just a day later, states the NDTV report.
On October 24, a group of Bajrang Dal members had smeared ink on Jha’s face and also vandalised the sets. Members of the group reportedly alleged that Aashram, starring Bobby Deol in the lead, was an ‘assault’ on Hinduism. They threatened that they would not allow the show to be filmed till the title of the show was changed.
According to the police, the accused got bail as the Ashram team was not keen on pressing charges. Charges levelled against Sudele and others were minor and thus, they were able to get bail immediately, the report states. However, legal experts suggest that due to Sudele’s past and criminal record, stricter action should have been taken against him, it adds.
Sudele was reportedly convicted for the murder of Bhagchand, a Bhopal-based businessman, in 2011. He was let out on bail four years later. Legal experts, therefore, believe the police should have immediately moved the court to get Sudele’s bail in the murder case cancelled after the attack on Jha, the NDTV report states.
“Suresh Sudele organises the attacks and many including the state Home Minister praise him. He is on bail in a murder case. If the government will shelter such people who have broken laws then how will we build a film city and generate more employment? He should be sent to prison immediately, it’s unfortunate that the state government is sheltering him,” PC Sharma, former state law minister and Congress leader, told NDTV.
After the attack, the Producers Guild of India had said in a statement that it condemns “the brazen acts of violence, harassment and vandalism faced by the crew.”
Recommended
Ashram also faced issues earlier in 2020, when a Jodhpur court had issued notices to Deol and Jha after an advocate moved the court claiming that the web series hurts religious sentiments. Recently, in January this year, the makers were booked by Rajasthan police for allegedly promoting discrimination against SC/STs.
The first season of the web series was released in August 2020 on the OTT platform MX player.