Archives: Public Acts

For Sushmita Sen, the chastity bogey is back. The Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court has directed a judicial magistrate to inquire into a complaint filed against Sen for making "obscene and derogatory comments" on chastity in October 2006. [Link] Setting aside a lower court order dismissing a complaint by an advocate seeking police action against Sen, a former Miss Universe, Justice A Selvam directed that the inquiry be held for offences under various sections of Indecent Representation of Women Act 1986 and Young Persons (Harmful Publications) Act 1856 among others. The judge...

Bollywood actor Akshay Kumar was arrested and later released on bail for allegedly indulging in obscene behaviour during a fashion show in March in Mumbai. From the Indian Express: [Link] "Akshay, who arrived in Mumbai from abroad, surrendered before the police today. He was accompanied by his lawyer," a senior police officer said. "He was then arrested under section 294 and 34 of the Indian Penal Code for his alleged obscene behaviour," the officer added. Akshay's wife Twinkle was also arrested under the same charges last month and immediately released on bail. Akshay...

Actor Akshay Kumar's wife Twinkle Khanna was arrested by the police in Mumbai six days after a case was registered against the couple for allegedly indulging in an obscene act during a fashion show, but the former actress was released on bail. Details from the Indian Express: [Link] Twinkle went to Vakola police station with a lawyer last night and surrendered. Police arrested her but she was immediately released on a bail bond of Rs 950. She told police that Akshay was abroad on a professional assignment and would come to the police station to surrender as soon as he...

Film actor Akshay Kumar has landed in trouble on grounds of obscenity for letting his wife Twinkle Khanna unbutton his jeans at the Lakme Fashion Week in Mumbai a few days back. From the Indian Express: [Link] Advocate Virendra Kumar filed the case in the court of Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate Rajesh Kumar against the star couple's performance during the promotional catwalk for a particular brand of jeans at a show. The court after recording the complainant's statement, has scheduled April 13 for producing further evidence and hearing of the case. Virendra in his complaint...

The Bangalore police arrested 101 young people, including 37 foreigners, violating the Karnataka Excise Act for illegal sale of liquor. They were arrested from a place on the outskirts of the city. That, of course, can be a valid charge. However, the police also booked them for obscene acts and songs in a public place. This is where it gets interesting. Obscene acts? At a private farmhouse party? From the Times of India: [Link] The attempt to nail them on the charge of obscenity smacks of highhandedness. For Sec 294 IPC, which imposes imprisonment up to three months,...

Here's a snub for the moral police. The Delhi High Court has held that an "expression of love by a young married couple" by stealing kisses in public should not attract the charge of obscenity. The Times of India had a detailed report: [Link] Justice S Muralidhar stayed an FIR lodged against one Ajit (name changed) and his wife who were booked by the Dwarka police station cops for allegedly kissing each other under the local Metro station even as they awaited word from their lawyer in connection with registration of their marriage. ...

The saffron brigade in Gujarat has issued its warnings over New Year's celebrations well in advance. Five major resorts and clubs and over half a dozen restaurants and hotels in Rajkot had begun bookings for the New Year bash, before the Shiv Sena announced that it would 'chalk out an action plan' to enforce a boycott. The VHP, on the other hand, has only appealed to the people to cancel all celebrations, says the Indian Express. [Link] “We must boycott New Year celebrations in the city since so many people have lost their lives in the Mumbai attack. In a day or two, the Shiv...

The Marriott ghost is still haunting Mallika Sherawat. Sessions judge ST Mahajan on Thursday (September 18) summoned Mallika Sherawat to appear before him on October 7, in a review of an obscenity case filed by Vinod Jain against her and the management of the hotel JW Marriott. From the Daily News & Analysis: [Link] In his complaint to the Bandra magistrate, Jain had contended that on December 31, 2006, he had viewed on TV, Sherawat's dance at the hotel and had found it extremely obscene. In August 2008, the magistrate discharged both accused before issuing process...

The police in Nagpur haven't quite done a Meerut, but they have been seen in action. On September 16, they caught 82 young boys and girls, some of them botany students, from the Botanical Garden in Telankedhi area and herded them into the Gittikhadan police station, on suspicion of indulging in indecent behaviour in public. The girls and boys were made to wait for hours for the Assistant Commissioner of Police, Purushottam Gavai, to arrive before being released. The Indian Express reported: [Link] ...

West Bengal Sports Minister Subash Chakravarty is leading for the ban on cheerleaders in West Bengal and has even sought the intervention of Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharyya. Three ministers—Kshiti Goswami, Nandgopal Bhattacharya and Pratim Chatterjee—are also lending support to the demand. [Link] The Navi Mumbai police seems to have learnt some lessons from fashion shows: “We have been told that any instance of wardrobe malfunctioning will be severely dealt with and hot pants and exposure of deep cleavage will not be tolerated,” said Kaushik Roy, Director IndiaWin...