Kangana Ranaut moves SC seeking transfer of cases from Mumbai to Shimla
New Delhi, Mar 2: Bollywood actress Kangana Ranaut and her sister Rangoli Chandel have moved the Supreme Court seeking transfer of cases pending against them in Mumbai to a court in Shimla, alleging there would be threat to their lives if the trial proceeds there because of personal vendetta of Shiv Sena leaders against them.
The actress and her sister said they apprehend that if trial in these cases are conducted in Mumbai, there would be a material threat to their life and property as the Shiv Sena-led Maharashtra government has been harassing them.
The petitioners face a threat unto life if the trials proceed in Mumbai, because of personal vendetta of Shiv Sena leaders against the petitioner herein, said the plea, filed recently through advocate Neeraj Shekhar.
The plea has sought transfer of trial of FIRs and complaints registered against them, including a complaint case filed by veteran lyricist Javed Akhtar against Ranaut alleging defamation, from Mumbai to a competent court in Shimla in Himachal Pradesh.
It said that Akhtar had filed a complaint case against Ranaut alleging criminal defamation after the actress had given an interview to a news channel last year in which she had talked about a meeting with the lyricist in 2016.
It has further sought transfer of an FIR lodged in Mumbai by one Ali Kashif Khan Deshmukh which relates to Chandel's tweet in which she had expressed her anguish over attack on doctors during COVID-19 pandemic.
It said subsequently, Twitter account of Chandel was suspended after which Ranaut had spoken on a social media video against it.
The plea said Khan had lodged an FIR against Ranaut and Chandel for the alleged offences under various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), including 295A which deals with deliberate and malicious acts intended to outrage religious feelings of any class.
It said that the same complainant had also filed a complaint case before the Metropolitan Magistrate, Andheri, against the petitioners.
Multiple proceedings on the same cause of action clearly demonstrates how the said complainant is just trying to harass the petitioners herein, the plea has alleged.
The plea has also sought transfer of an FIR lodged by one Munawar Ali for the alleged offences of sedition against them.
It is pertinent to mention that all the FIRs and complaints in question are frivolous and have been filed with a malicious intent to harass the petitioners herein and malign their public image, the plea has alleged.
While, the petitioners have utmost respect for the courts of the country and are ready to face the trial as per law, but they apprehend that if the trials are conducted in Mumbai, there will be a material threat to life and property of the petitioners herein, it said, adding, It is pertinent to mention that the Maharashtra government led by Shiv Sena has been harassing the petitioners herein.
It said that in September last year, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) had illegally demolished a part of the Pali Hill bungalow of Ranaut.
The plea said later, the Bombay High Court had declared the BMC's act as illegal.
These acts of the Maharashtra government clearly shows that the Maharashtra government has malafide intentions against the petitioners herein and that if the petitioners visit Maharashtra to attend the said trials, there will be a constant threat to them from the Shiv Sena and Maharashtra government, it claimed.
The plea has also mentioned that looking at the threat perception of Ranaut, she was granted Y-plus category of CRPF security by the home ministry.
Therefore, it becomes quite evident that the petitioners face serious threat to life and property and if the trial of the cases are not transferred out of Mumbai, the petitioners life will be at risk, it said while seeking transfer of these cases from Mumbai to Shimla.
It alleged that the Shiv Sena will leave no stone unturned to eliminate the petitioners herein, because of the petitioner No. 1's (Ranaut) continuous outspokenness against the wrongs done by the Shiv Sena in collusion with big names of the Bollywood.
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Social media ban for children under 16 starts in Australia
Melbourne(Australia) (AP): Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese welcomed a world-first social media ban for children younger than 16 that took effect Wednesday as families taking back power from tech giants but warned the implementation would be difficult.
Parents reported distraught children discovering they'd been shut out of platforms as the landmark law took effect. Some young children reported fooling the platforms' age estimation technology by drawing on facial hair. Parents and older siblings are also expected to help some children circumvent the restrictions.
“This is the day when Australian families are taking back power from these big tech companies and they're asserting the right of kids to be kids and for parents to have greater peace of mind,” Albanese told the Australian Broadcasting Corp.
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“This reform will change lives. For Australian kids ... allowing them to just have their childhood. For Australian parents, enabling them to have greater peace of mind. But also for the global community, who are looking at Australia and saying: well, if Australia can do it, why can't we?” Albanese later told a Sydney gathering of reform supporters, including parents who blame social media for a child's suicide.
Facebook, Instagram, Kick, Reddit, Snapchat, Threads, TikTok, X, YouTube and Twitch face fines of up to 49.5 million Australian dollars (USD 32.9 million) from Wednesday if they fail to take reasonable steps to remove the accounts of Australian children younger than 16.
Australia to report by Christmas if social media ban is working
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The ban will be enforced by Australia's eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant. She said the platforms already had the technology and personal data about their users to enforce the age restriction with precision.
She would send the 10 targeted platforms on Thursday notices demanding information on how the age restriction was being implemented and how many accounts had been closed.
“We will provide information to the public before Christmas on how these age restrictions are being implemented and whether preliminarily we see them working,” Inman Grant said.
“The responses to these notices will form the baseline against which we will measure compliance,” she added.
Communications Minister Anika Wells said the age-restricted platforms “may not agree with the law and that's their right — we don't expect 100 per cent universal support," but that all had undertaken to comply with the Australian law. She said more than 200,000 TikTok accounts in Australia had already been deactivated by Wednesday.
Wells also warned young children who had so far evaded detection that they would eventually be caught. A child who used a virtual private network to appear to be in Norway would be caught out if they were routinely posting images of Australian beaches, Wells said.
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“Just because they might have avoided it (detection) today doesn't mean they will be able to avoid it in a week's time or a month's time because social media platforms have to go back and routinely check under-16 accounts,” Wells said.
“These social media platforms have so much data on us because we choose to give it to them because we like social media and because you've had your older brother scan their face for you today, which has bought you a bit of time, doesn't mean that these accounts aren't going to see you talking to other 14-year-olds tonight about the under-16 soccer carnival on weekend, about your upcoming school holidays and what your Year 10 teacher is next year,” she added.
Albanese said the implementation would be difficult and “won't be perfect.”
“This is about, importantly, pushing back against big tech, saying that social media companies have a social responsibility,” he said.
Father of sextortion scam victim says social media ban is a start
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Wayne Holdsworth, who became an age restriction advocate because his son Mac took his own life after falling victim to an online sextortion scam, described the new law as a start. Children must now be educated about online dangers before they turn 16.
“Our kids that we've lost haven't died in vain because today they'll be looking down very proud of the work that we've all done,” Holdsworth told the Sydney gathering.
Flossie Brodribb, a 12-year-old advocate for a social media ban for young children, told the gathering she hoped other countries would follow Australia's lead.
“This ban is bold and brave and I believe it will help kids like me to grow up healthier, safer, kinder and more connected to the real world,” Flossie said.
Simone Clements said the social media ban would come at a financial cost to her 15-year-old twins Carlee and Hayden Clements. Carlee is an actor, model, dancer, singer and influencer. Her brother is an actor and model.
“I know that our situation is unique to our family because the kids are in the entertainment industry and social media goes hand-in-hand with the entertainment industry. We have used social media in the most positive way. And it's a platform for them to basically show their portfolio, and … this is an income stream for the children,” the mother told ABC.
Clements said the biggest impact on her children would be the loss of their young followers online.
