Singer Sonu Nigam pushed, his 2 colleagues manhandled at Mumbai event; FIR against MLA's son
Mumbai (PTI): Noted singer Sonu Nigam was pushed and his two colleagues manhandled allegedly by the son of an MLA during a scuffle over taking a selfie with the singer at a musical event in Mumbai, police said on Tuesday.
A colleague of Nigam was injured in the incident which took place at Chembur Gymkhana on Monday night after the singer's live performance, an official said.
A video of the incident later surfaced on social media platforms.
Based on a complaint filed by Nigam, the Chembur police registered an FIR against Swapnil Phaterpekar, the son of local Shiv Sena MLA Prakash Phaterpekar, under Indian Penal Code Sections 323 (voluntarily causing hurt), 341 (wrongful restraint), and 337 (causing hurt by act endangering life or personal safety of others), the official said.
According to Nigam's complaint, he and his colleagues were leaving the stage after the performance when a man, later identified as Swapnil Phaterpekar, came from the back and caught hold of the singer.
The accused apparently wanted to take a selfie with the singer.
As per the complaint, Nigam's colleague Hari Prakash tried to stop the accused and took him aside. However, the accused allegedly manhandled Prakash due to which he fell down from the stage, the official said quoting the complaint.
The accused then pushed Nigam due to which he also fell on the stairs, as per the complaint.
When Nigam's another colleague Rabbani Khan came forward to help him, the accused allegedly manhandled him also. Khan, too, fell down, said the complaint.
The support staff present near the stage then came forward and stopped the accused, an official from Chembur police station said.
Khan, who received injuries, was taken to a private hospital in Chembur, he said.
Nigam went to the Chembur police station in the early hours of Tuesday, recorded his statement and filed a complaint against the accused, the official said, adding a probe was underway into the case.
Later, the accused's sister in a tweet said on behalf of the organisers, they have officially apologised to Nigam and his team for the unpleasant incident.
She said while Nigam was being hurriedly ushered off the stage after delivering his performance, her brother was trying to take a selfie with the singer.
"Due to the rush & furore, there was a commotion that ensued," she tweeted.
Singer #SonuNigam & his team were pushed in a music event in #Chembur #Mumbai during his exit for taking a selfie. After the x-ray Sonu Nigam was discharged as there were no injuries. No connection with local MLA Prakash Phaterpekar as per the sources as he only invited him pic.twitter.com/FlR6s44JPH
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Bill to regulate deepfakes tabled in Lok Sabha
New Delhi (PTI): A Private Member's Bill seeking a clear legal framework for regulation of deepfakes has been introduced in the Lok Sabha.
The Regulation of Deepfake Bill, introduced by Shiv Sena leader Shrikant Shinde in the House on Friday, aims to protect citizens by mandating prior consent from individuals depicted in deepfake content.
"Misuse of deepfakes for harassment, deception and misinformation has escalated, creating an urgent need for regulatory safeguards," Shinde said.
The Bill also lists penalties for offenders creating or disseminating deepfake content with malicious intent.
"With advancements in artificial intelligence and deep learning, deepfake technology has emerged as a significant tool for media manipulation. While the technology has potential applications in education, entertainment and creative fields, it also poses severe risks when misused, threatening individual privacy, national security and public trust," Shinde said in the statement of objects and reasons in the Bill.
The proposed Bill seeks to establish a clear legal framework to govern the creation, distribution and application of deepfakes in India, said Shinde, a three-term Lok Sabha member from Kalyan.
The Bill also seeks to establish the Deepfake Task Force, a dedicated body to combat national security implications and evaluate the influence of deepfakes on privacy, civic participation, and potential election interference.
The task force will collaborate with academic and private sector institutions to develop technologies that detect manipulated content, thereby promoting credibility in digital media.
The Bill also proposes to establish a fund to support public and private sector initiatives in the detection and deterrence of advanced image manipulation.
A Private Member's Bill is a procedure of Parliament that enables lawmakers, who are not ministers, to draw attention to issues that might not be represented in Government Bills or to highlight the issues and gaps in the existing legal framework that require legislative intervention.
