Media misleading public perception of film industry: Suresh Gopi
Thrissur (Kerala) (PTI): Union Minister Suresh Gopi on Tuesday lashed out at the media, accusing it of misleading the public's perception about the film industry regarding the recent allegations of sexual harassment against actors and directors.
The actor-politician termed the allegations as "food" for the media and said they were welcome to make money out of it.
The Union Minister of State for Petroleum, Natural Gas and Tourism, however, said they should not try to destroy such a huge industry like cinema.
He was responding to reporters' queries over the recent allegations of sexual harassment and abuse against various directors and actors, including CPI(M) MLA M Mukesh.
"This is all food for you, is what I understand. You can use it to make money. (There is) no problem with that. But these issues are before the court, and it has the intelligence and logic to arrive at a decision regarding them.
"You (media) are not only making people fight each other for your own gains, you are also misleading public perception. The complaints are in the form of allegations at the moment. What are you telling people? Are you the court? You are not. The court will decide. Let the court decide," Gopi said.
His response came a day after the Yuva Morcha organised a march towards the residence of Mukesh in Kollam.
The publication of the Justice K Hema Committee report on harassment and abuse in the Malayalam film industry has opened a can of worms with several female actors stepping forward with disturbing accounts of the mistreatment they faced at the hands of their various male counterparts.
Amid these allegations, the government announced the establishment of a seven-member special investigation team to probe the allegations made in the wake of the Hema Committee report being published.
Following that more complaints surfaced against various actors and directors.
The report by the Justice Hema Committee, constituted by the Kerala government after the 2017 actress assault case has revealed instances of harassment and exploitation of women in the Malayalam cinema industry, prompting calls for action against the guilty.
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Two killed in head-on bike collision in UP's Pilibhit
Pilibhit (UP) (PTI): Two men were killed in a head-on collision between their motorcycles in Uttar Pradesh's Pilibhit district on Wednesday, police said.
The incident occurred near Gauhaniya village on the Bisalpur-Bilsanda road. According to police, the two men were returning home after celebrating Holi at their in-laws' houses.
They were riding at high speed when their motorcycles collided head-on near Gauhaniya village, an eyewitness said. Both sustained severe head injuries and died on the spot.
One of the deceased was identified as Surendra Kumar (26). He was returning from his in-laws' house in Ganguapur village.
The other victim, Dhanpal (25), was a resident of Badhela Badagaon village in neighbouring Shahjahanpur district. He was returning from his in-laws' house in Vakainiya village in the Bilsanda area.
Bilsanda Station House Officer Siddhant Sharma confirmed the incident and said both damaged motorcycles have been seized. "A detailed investigation is underway. Traffic on the road has been restored," he said.
Police identified the victims through documents found on them and informed their families. The bodies have been sent to the district headquarters for post-mortem.
In a separate incident, a 60-year-old woman was killed after being hit by an unidentified vehicle on the Bareilly-Pilibhit highway under Jahanabad police station limits late on Tuesday night.
Jahanabad Station House Officer Pradeep Bishnoi said the deceased was identified as Ramkali, aged around 60, a resident of Balpur village. She was reportedly mentally unwell and often wandered away from home.
