IFTDA sends show cause notice to Vikas Bahl
Mumbai, Oct 9: Indian Film & Television Directors' Association (IFTDA) has sent a show cause notice to filmmaker Vikas Bahl after allegations of sexual harassment resurfaced against the director.
Last year, a woman employee at Phantom Films, which had Bahl as one of the partners along side Anurag Kashyap, Vikramaditya Motwane and Madhu Mantena, had alleged that Bahl behaved inappropriately with her during a trip to Goa.
"IFTDA has taken a stern stand against Vikas Bahl by issuing a show cause notice and asked him to respond within one week's time, failing which his membership will be terminated," the statement read.
The association said it has immediately set up a women grievances redressal cell.
The three member all women committee will be headed by celebrated TV and film director Swapna Waghmare Joshi as chairperson with Bhavna Talwar as convenor and Priyanka Ghatak as co-convenor, supported by the entire executive committee of IFTDA.
"This is being done to crate a safe place for its women professionals and will only be strengthened when directors and production houses pledge to work for the government sanctioned POSH (Prevention of Sexual Harassment at Workplace) guidelines.
"This will only lead to the creation of confidence among not only the experienced seniors but the posterity of female professionals who are planning to enter the industry in the future," the statement read.
The Producers Guild of India, also extended its support "to the movement to call out and report sexual harassment and abuse whenever and wherever it occurs in our industry."
"We believe that there is an urgent need to set up a robust process to ensure the highest standards of safety for employees and crew members at the workplace - whether in offices or on sets of productions.
"We are instituting a committee within the Guild to lead this effort, and we are determined to stay the course till workplaces in the industry are safe spaces for everyone," the statement read.
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Three juveniles held for stabbing 16-year-old over past grudge in northwest Delhi
New Delhi, Mar 18 (PTI): Three juveniles, including one who was recently out on bail in a murder case, were apprehended in connection with the stabbing of a 16-year-old boy in northwest Delhi's Ashok Vihar over to past dispute, an official said on Wednesday.
A PCR call on March 12 reported a stabbing incident in Ashok Vihar area in which one Altaf (16) sustained grievous injuries.
Police said the victim was rushed to hospital in a critical condition. With no eyewitnesses, and the victim initially unfit to give a statement, the case posed a challenge for investigators.
An FIR was registered under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, and a team was constituted to probe the matter.
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After regaining consciousness, the victim disclosed the name of one of the assailants, providing a crucial lead. Acting on local inputs and surveillance, police conducted raids and tracked down the suspects.
Subsequently, three juveniles were apprehended and, during interrogation, they confessed to their involvement in the crime, police said.
The accused disclosed that they knew the victim and had a prior altercation over a trivial issue, which escalated into bitter enmity. Nursing a grudge, they conspired to attack him and stabbed the boy after intercepting him on the day of the incident.
Police said one of the apprehended juveniles had recently been released on bail in a murder case registered last year at the same police station.
The weapon of offence, a knife, was recovered at the instance of the accused.
