Vikas Bahl gets clean chit in sexual harassment case, to be credited as director of 'Super 30'
Mumbai: Filmmaker Vikas Bahl has received a clean chit in the sexual harassment case following an internal inquiry by Reliance Entertainment, producer of his next film "Super 30".
The "Queen" director was accused of sexual harassment by a former employee at the now dissolved Phantom Films, which had Bahl as one of the partners alongside Anurag Kashyap, Vikramaditya Motwane and Madhu Mantena.
Shibashish Sarkar, Group CEO, Reliance Entertainment said a report by Internal Complaints Committee (ICC) of the company has cleared Bahl of any charges.
"Yes its true that ICC committee report has exonerated Vikas. With ICC clearing Vikas Bahl's name we don't have choice but to reinstate his credit as director of Super 30," Sarkar said in a statement.
The development comes months after Kashyap agreed to oversee the post-production work of "Super 30, featuring Hrithik Roshan in the lead.
Bahl's Lawyer Hitesh Jain said the clean shit "clears the air on him."
"It's the end of the story. This clears the air on him that was thrown in the social media about him. I'm happy he has been exonerated," Jain told PTI.
Bahl had filed a defamation suit against Kashyap and Motwane, alleging they made "defamatory, slanderous and baseless allegations" against him due to which he has suffered irreversible damage.
When asked what happens to the case now, Jain said, "These are two different matters. The most important matter was to inquire about the allegations which were made.
"Once you are exonerated from all that, it proves that there was no substance in the complaint. He faced an inquiry and they (committee) came to the conclusion that he is not guilty.
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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.
