Karnataka film fraternity urges CM to form panel to address sexual harassment in industry
Bengaluru, Sep 4: Over 100 film professionals on Wednesday urged the Karnataka government to appoint a committee led by a retired judge to address the sexual harassment issue in the Kannada film industry.
In a letter addressed to Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, sent on behalf of Film Industry for Rights & Equality (FIRE), 153 film professionals, including actors Kiccha Sudeep and Ramya, demanded the government to "conduct a thorough investigation into the systematic issues faced by women in KFI, including sexual harassment".
The letter, dated September 4, comes in the wake of the Justice K Hema Committee report that is taking the Malayalam film industry by storm with many survivors coming forward to name the preparators.
FIRE, led by film director, screenwriter and lyricist Kavita Lankesh, has been pushing for reform in the Kannada film industry following the #metoo wave as well.
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FIRE also urged the government to "develop and recommend policies to ensure a healthy and equitable work environment for all women in the industry."
It wanted a retired judge of the High Court or Supreme Court "who has demonstrated a strong commitment to gender justice over her/his years of service be appointed to head the committee."
Incidentally, FIRE has been instrumental in establishing India’s first-ever film industry Internal Complaints Committee (ICC), advocating for survivors of sexual harassment.
"We recognise that more comprehensive measures are needed to create a safe and equitable working environment for all women in the industry," said the letter.
Despite many attempts to reach Lankesh over the phone, she was unavailable for comment.
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Shivaji statue collapse case: HC grants bail to consultant Chetan Patil
Mumbai (PTI): The Bombay High Court on Thursday granted bail to consultant Chetan Patil arrested in connection with the collapse of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj''s statue at Rajkot fort in Malvan in August.
A 35-foot statue of the iconic Maratha warrior king collapsed in Sindhudurg district on August 26, nearly nine months after Prime Minister Narendra Modi unveiled it on Navy Day.
Patil was arrested on August 30 from Kolhapur.
A single bench of Justice A S Kilor on Thursday held that no case was made out to implicate Patil in the case as he had not been appointed as the structural designer of the statue.
The bench further said Patil had only submitted a structural stability report of the pedestal of the statue and the pedestal was intact even after the collapse.
Another accused, Jaydeep Apte, who was the sculptor and contractor, was also arrested in the case. The HC said it would hear his bail plea on November 25.
The Sindhudurg police had registered an FIR under Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita for negligence and other offences last month against Apte and Patil for the statue's collapse.
Patil and Apte moved HC seeking bail after a sessions court rejected their pleas.
