National award-winning film director attacked, Kerala CM condemns
Thrissur, Jan 25 : National award-winning Malayalam film director Priyanandanan Friday claimed he was attacked and cow dung water poured on him and suspected the hand of BJP-RSS workers in the incident that comes days after his objectionable Facebook post on the Sabarimala women's entry issue.
However, the BJP has denied any role in the attack.
The director said the incident took place at 9 am as he came out of his house at Cherpu in Thrissur district.
"As I came out of my house, a man came running, hit me on the face and head and poured cow dung water on me," Priyanandan later told reporters.
"The aim is to weaken me with this attack," he added.
He alleged that BJP/RSS workers were behind the attack. Police has begun investigation on the complaint filed by the director.
Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan condemned the attack on Priyanandan. In the name of a Facebook post, a few days ago Sangh Parivar organisations had threatened and initiated a cyber attack against him.
This was an attack on the freedom of expression of the director and this will not be allowed at any cost, Vijayan said in a statement here.
The "Pulijanmam" director had courted controversy few days ago when he had posted some objectionable comments on Lord Ayyappa when the Sabarimala issue had rocked the state.
The Sabarimala Karma Samithi, which had spearheaded the protests in Kerala against the state government's decision to implement the Supreme Court verdict had taken out a march to his house against his post, which was later withdrawn by him.
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'Godman' Kharat held in 8th sexual exploitation case; court denies police remand, sends him to jail
Nashik (PTI): Police took custody of self-proclaimed godman-cum-astrologer Ashok Kharat in an eighth case related to sexual exploitation of women and produced him before a Nashik district court which sent him to jail till May 12 after rejecting the plea for his police remand on Thursday.
On April 29, the Special Investigation Team (SIT) of the Nashik police in north Maharashtra filed a request application in the court demanding Kharat's custody in the eighth case.
After the court granted them the necessary permission, the SIT took custody of Kharat, who was in jail in connection with the seventh case of sexual exploitation registered against him.
The 'godman', named in a dozen FIRs related to rape and financial fraud, was produced before Chief Judicial Magistrate B N Ichpurani in the eighth case through video conferencing due to security reasons.
The eighth case related to Kharat allegedly sexually exploiting a woman who had approached him in search of solutions to her family problems, according to police.
During the hearing, the prosecution demanded police custody of the accused in the latest case.
However, the defence strongly opposed the demand and argued that the SIT was giving same reasons for police custody every time and there was no strong reason for accepting their plea.
The court accepted the argument put forth by the defence and remanded Kharat to judicial custody till May 12 in the eighth case.
The SIT will produce Kharat in the court on Friday again and seek his police custody in the ninth case. As the self-styled godman has been granted judicial custody in the eighth case, he will be sent to Nashik Road Central Jail and the SIT will take his custody from there.
Meanwhile, Kharat's judicial custody in the fourth case ended on Thursday. On April 18, the accused was remanded to judicial custody till April 30 in the fourth case of sexual exploitation of women.
In a related development, the SIT conducted a search at Kharat's office in the 'Canada Corner' area of Nashik city on Wednesday. A 'panchnama' (record of search and seizure proceedings) was conducted and the office was locked and sealed again.
Kharat, a well-heeled man with political connections, was arrested for the first time on March 18 after a woman alleged he had repeatedly raped her for three years.
He is accused of sexually exploiting several women by claiming to have divine powers and knowledge of black magic, and also committing large-scale financial fraud.
The SIT is conducting a probe into 12 cases of sexual exploitation and financial fraud registered against the astrologer in Nashik and Ahilyanagar districts.
