SC refuses urgent hearing on plea for protection of theatres screening 'Thug Life' in Karnataka
New Delhi (PTI): The Supreme Court on Monday refused to grant an urgent hearing on a plea seeking protection against alleged threats over the screening of Kamal Haasan's film "Thug Life" in Karnataka theatres.
A bench comprising Justice Prashant Kumar Mishra and Justice Manmohan asked the theatre association from Karnataka to approach the Karnataka High Court instead.
A lawyer, appearing for the petitioner, referred to open threats from fringe groups opposing the screening of the film in Karnataka, and said "there are open threats by fringe elements and they are saying theatres will be set on fire."
Justice Mishra, while refusing to grant an urgent hearing, said, "Install fire extinguishers" and asked the petitioner to move the high court.
"Thug Life" released in cinema halls across the country on June 5.
The Tamil movie, which reunites the 70-year-old actor with filmmaker Mani Ratnam after 1987's "Nayakan", could not be released in Karnataka after Haasan's comments about Kannada language sparked a major controversy.
It was also released in Telugu, Hindi and Malayalam.
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Man arrested with Rs 2.54-crore heroin in Mumbai
Mumbai (PTI): Police have arrested a man and seized over 500 grams of heroin worth Rs 2.54 crore in the illicit market from him in Mumbai, officials said on Friday.
The police's Anti-Narcotics Cell (ANC) made the drug seizure in Santacruz in the western suburbs. The operation was conducted by the Kandivali unit of the ANC on Thursday as part of a special crackdown against drug trafficking in the area, they said.
Acting on specific inputs, an ANC team conducted a raid in Santacruz (East) and intercepted a man. During a search, the team recovered 508 grams of high-grade heroin from his possession, an official said.
The seized contraband, a highly addictive, opioid drug derived from morphine, is estimated to be worth Rs 2.54 crore in the international market, he informed.
Following the seizure, a case was registered against the man under relevant sections of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985, and he was formally placed under arrest in the early hours of Friday.
The police are currently investigating the source of the drug and trying to identify the intended recipients of the consignment, he said.
