Sonakshi Sinha among five booked for cheating event organiser
Moradabad (UP), Feb 24: Bollywood actress Sonakshi Sinha and four others have been booked for allegedly cheating an event organiser here, police officials said Sunday.
However, Sinha's management agency, in a statement, alleged that the event organiser was using the media to release "false and manipulated" information, and she would be "forced" to take legal action.
The case was registered against the actress and the others under Indian Penal Code (IPC) sections pertaining to cheating and criminal breach of trust, police said.
In a complaint on November 24 last year, an event organiser, Pramod Sharma, had alleged that he paid Rs 24 lakh to a company to invite Sinha for a prize distribution function in Delhi and that the actress had confirmed her presence, but did not turn up, the officials said.
The complainant, a resident of Shivpuri in Moradabad, said in total, he paid Rs 37 lakh, which included transferring a huge amount to Sinha, according to police.
Sinha's management agency has denied the charge, saying despite repeated reminders, the organiser failed to make payments to the actress before the event as contracted.
"The investigating officer in the case had served a notice to Sinha and the four others, but after not getting a response an FIR was registered on Friday," Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP), Moradabad, Ravindra Gaud, said.
He said among the four others are Mumbai residents Abhishek, Malvika Dhumil and Edgar.
The case has been registered at the Katghar police station.
Station House Officer, Katghar, Ajeet Singh said the case was registered under section 420 (cheating) and 406 (criminal breach of trust) of the Indian Penal Code.
The investigation in the case has started, he said.
In the statement, the agency said, "Sonakshi was approached by the event organisers in Delhi to attend an event. However, despite repeated reminders, the organiser failed to make the payments to Sonakshi before the event as contracted."
"The tickets to Delhi were not in order/as were agreed, the organiser also didn't send return tickets for Sonakshi and her team, despite knowing that she had a shoot the next morning after the event.This put everyone in a tough spot," it said.
Several attempts were made to contact the organiser to request him to make the "contracted payments and send the tickets, however, they remained incommunicado and didn't live up to their end of the bargain", Sinha's management agency claimed.
Due to a lack of commitment by the organiser, the actress and her team were left with no choice but to return home from the Mumbai airport, according to the statement.
"Ever since that day, Sonakshi's management agency has been trying to reach out to the organiser to find an amicable solution to the extent of offering an alternate date and tried to connect but to no avail.
"The organiser is now using the media to release false and manipulated facts. If the organiser doesn't stop at this, Sonakshi and her team will be forced to take a legal course of action to set this straight. We request media to not let anyone use their platform without looking into the facts," the statement read.
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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.
