11 arrested for kidnap, assault of Kannada film director; actor among accused
Bengaluru (PTI): Eleven people, among them a woman, were arrested for allegedly kidnapping and brutally assaulting a Kannada film director and robbing him of gold ornaments and cash, police said on Thursday.
The matter came to light after he filed a complaint at Adugodi police station on February 11, they said.
Among those arrested is a female actor named Aishwarya, who is also a social media influencer, police added.
According to police, in his complaint, T A Anish stated that he had directed a new film titled 'Jeevanada Bhashe', which is yet to be released.
An investor in the film, along with another associate working with him, developed a financial dispute with Anish.
About two months ago, the complainant moved from Bengaluru to Mumbai.
During this period, he informed a female actor friend residing in Indiranagar, Bengaluru, that he was planning to sell his car. The accused came to know of this through the actress and told the complainant they would help him sell the vehicle, a senior police officer said.
On February 9, they called him from Mumbai to Bengaluru. Thereafter, the accused, along with others, asked the complainant to come to a location within the limits of Adugodi police station, he said.
On the same night, they allegedly kidnapped him in a car and took him to a house within the jurisdiction of Byadarahalli police station, where they wrongfully confined him.
Five to six persons then allegedly assaulted him with cricket stumps and hockey sticks and robbed him of the gold ornaments he was wearing and Rs 30,000 in cash, police said.
Later, they took him by car to Mandaragiri Hill near Panditanahalli in Tumakuru district, where two more persons joined them and allegedly assaulted him again, police said.
Based on the complaint, a case of kidnapping and assault was registered at Adugodi police station.
“During the investigation, police pursued multiple angles and secured a total of 11 accused, including one woman, involved in the crime,” the officer said.
Police also seized six mobile phones used in the offence, gold ornaments, a car and cash from the accused.
The accused were produced in a court, which remanded them to custody, police said, adding that further investigation is underway.
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'Sarke Chunar' row: Sanjay Dutt apologises; to sponsor education of 50 tribal girls
New Delhi (PTI): Actor Sanjay Dutt on Monday appeared before the National Commission for Women (NCW) in connection with the controversy over the song 'Sarke Chunar Teri Sarke' and submitted a written apology, expressing regret for any "unintended" harm caused to society.
During the hearing, held under NCW chairperson Vijaya Rahatkar, the commission raised concerns over alleged vulgarity and indecent representation of women in the song from the movie "KD The Devil" and questioned issues of intent, awareness and accountability.
The chairperson emphasised whether adequate due diligence was undertaken before participating in content that could be perceived as promoting objectification of women, while also underlining the responsibility of senior and influential public figures in ensuring that their work remains within the bounds of legal and societal standards.
As a corrective measure, Dutt committed to sponsoring the education of 50 tribal girl children as part of efforts towards social welfare and women's empowerment, the NCW said in a statement.
He also assured the commission that his future artist agreements would include mandatory legal due diligence provisions to ensure dignified and appropriate representation of women and children in films and related creative projects.
Actor Nora Fatehi, who was also summoned, could not appear as she is currently abroad and has sought a fresh date for the hearing.
On April 6, other individuals associated with the song, including director Kiran Kumar alias Prem, lyricist Raqueeb Alam and representatives of KVN Production Company Gautam K M and Suprith, appeared before the commission and submitted their apologies.
The NCW underscored that while artistic freedom is important, it must be exercised with responsibility and sensitivity, reiterating the need for accountability in content reaching wide public audiences and reaffirming its commitment to safeguarding the dignity and representation of women.
The Hindi version of the song, released on March 15 on YouTube, drew public ire for its sexually explicit lyrics.
After the outrage, the makers deleted the Hindi version of the song from YouTube, although it was widely played and shared across various platforms.
Fatehi, in a video later, distanced herself from the song, saying she shot the video for the Kannada version and her permission was not taken to use it in the Hindi version. The lyricist, singer and the director also apologised.
The issue was brought up in Lok Sabha during Question Hour by Samajwadi Party (SP) MP Anand Bhadoria last month.
Union Information and Broadcasting Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said the song was already banned and the government was ready to take action against such vulgarity.
"KD The Devil" is a Kannada film, dubbed in four languages, including Hindi. It will release on April 30. The film features Dhruva Sarja, V Ravichandran, Ramesh Aravind, Shilpa Shetty, and Dutt.
