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SC declines to interfere with anticipatory bail to actor Vijay Babu in rape case

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The Supreme Court on Wednesday declined to interfere with the anticipatory bail granted to Malayalam film producer-actor Vijay Babu in an alleged case of rape of an actor.

The top court made it clear that Babu would have to restrain from making social media posts in connection with the case and also, he cannot leave Kerala without the permission of the court.

A vacation bench comprising Justices Indira Banerjee and J.K. Maheshwari said Babu would not tamper with the evidence or try to interfere with any witness whatsoever, and also, not harass the victim.

The top court passed the order on petitions filed by the victim and the Kerala government challenging the Kerala High Court granting anticipatory bail to Babu.

Senior Advocate Jaideep Gupta, representing the Kerala government, contended that Babu is an influential person in the movie industry and the witness and the evidence pertaining to the case is also connected with the film industry.

Gupta added that he deleted WhatsApp messages of 15 critical days and also informed the court that the impugned order restricted investigation up to July 3, and curbed the time on interrogation. “We don’t think that grant of bail is unwarranted but restricting time for investigation is unwarranted,” said the bench.

The top court said the restrictions on proceeding with the investigation could not be sustained and modified the order of the high court. “We make it clear that the petitioner may be interrogated beyond July 3, 2022, if necessary,” it said.

Senior advocate R. Basant, representing the victim, said Babu disclosed her identity on Facebook Live to pressurise his client and he also fled to Georgia, where there is no extradition treaty, as he opposed the anticipatory bail granted to Babu.

The top court on Tuesday had agreed to hear the plea by the Kerala actor, who was allegedly raped by Babu, challenging the High Court’s order granting conditional anticipatory bail to Babu.

During the mentioning of the case on Tuesday, the top court was informed that anticipatory bail has been granted to a person, who initially ran away to Dubai and then to Georgia and came back to India only because his passport was impounded here. The Kerala government counsel contended that the high court says that he will be granted bail if he is to be arrested and it also says that his interrogation is restricted from June 27 to July 3.

Entertainment

Kantara Chapter 1 Box Office Collection Day 4: Rishab Shetty Starrer Performs Exceptionally, Crosses ₹ 200 Crore Mark

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Rishab Shetty starrer Kantara Chapter 1 has done an exceptional business at the box office during its extended first weekend. The film took a bumper opening of Rs. 61.85 crore (all languages), but on Friday, it showed a drop of around 26% and collected Rs. 45.40 crore (all languages). However, once again on Saturday and Sunday, the movie showed a huge jump.

On its third day, the film collected Rs. 55 crore (all languages), and according to Sacnilk, on its day four, Sunday, Kantara 2 collected approximately Rs. 61.5 crore (all languages). So, during its extended first weekend, Kantara Chapter 1 has minted around Rs. 224.05 crore (all languages), which is an excellent amount.

While Kantara Chapter 1 is originally a Kannada film, it has been dubbed and released in multiple languages, including Hindi. The movie’s Hindi dubbed version has been getting a fantastic response. In fact it is performing better than the original version. In four days, the Hindi version has collected around Rs. 74 crore, which is surely a very good number.

However, now, all eyes are on Monday. It will be interesting to see if the film will pass the Monday test or not. While of course, there will be a drop, we can expect a double-digit number.

Kantara Chapter 1 is reportedly made on a budget of Rs. 125 crore. So, if we compare the budget and the collection, the movie is already a blockbuster.

Reviewer gave 3.5 stars to Kantara Chpater 1, and wrote, “Considering that Kantara A Legend: Chapter 1 is being released on Dussehra, it could just work in the film’s favour in addition to its loyal audience and word of mouth. The flip side, however, is the lack of required publicity and awareness of the film, which could act as a roadblock. Overall, if you want to experience the unfolding of cinema’s magic, this film earns our recommendation!”

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Bollywood

Mumbai: Farhan Akhtar’s Family Driver Misuses Actor’s Cards To Fill His Pockets, Booked For ₹12 Lakh Fraud

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Mumbai: The police have registered a case against the driver of actor Farhan Akhtar’s mother, Honey Irani, and an employee of a petrol pump near Bandra Lake. The accused driver, Naresh Singh, 35, used Akhtar’s cards to fill fuel in Irani’s cars. However, he merely swiped the cards at the petrol pump and an employee there, Arun Singh, 52, gave him cash after keeping his share for the deal.

On October 1, Irani’s manager filed a complaint with the Bandra police against Singh and the petrol pump employee for allegedly cheating them of Rs 12 lakh. According to the FIR, Irani’s manager, Diya Bhatia, 36, while checking the fuel accounts, discovered that a Maruti car with a diesel capacity of 35t was recorded as having received 621t.

When Bhatia questioned Singh, he gave unsatisfactory answers, claiming he only had one card to fill petrol and diesel. The manager examined the cards’ history. She discovered that Singh had used three cards, all registered under Akhtar’s name. She further found that Singh had purchased vehicle oil for a car that had been sold seven years ago. She arranged a meeting with Trani, during which Singh confessed to cheating them.

Singh revealed that in 2022, he obtained three cards from Akhtar’s former driver, Santosh Kumar. After obtaining the cards, he always filled petrol and diesel at the SV Road petrol pump near Bandra Lake, where he conspired with the petrol pump employee. Singh frequently swiped the cards without filling petrol or diesel and was given cash after a deduction of Rs 1,000- 1500.

A case has been registered under Sections 318 (criminal breach of trust), 418 (cheating), and 3(5) (general provisions) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.

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Bollywood

‘Stranger Asked For Nude Pics’: Akshay Kumar Reveals Daughter’s Disturbing Online Game Incident; Warns Parents Of Cyber Threats

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Mumbai: Bollywood star Akshay Kumar, known for keeping his personal life private, revealed a disturbing incident involving his 13-year-old daughter. Speaking at a cyber awareness program, the actor recounted how an unknown individual tried to target his daughter while she was playing an online video game.

Kumar explained, “A few months ago, my daughter was playing an online game. Some games allow interaction with strangers. While she was playing, she received messages like ‘Thank you,’ ‘That was great,’ ‘You’re doing so well,’ ‘Fantastic’ – very courteous messages that seemed harmless.”

However, the tone soon changed. “Suddenly, the person asked where she was from. She replied, ‘Mumbai.’ The conversation continued politely at first, but then the stranger asked, ‘Are you male or female?’ She answered, ‘Female.’ Shockingly, the stranger then requested her to send nude pictures,” Akshay said.

Nitara immediately closed the game and informed her mother, Twinkle Khanna, about the incident. Akshay praised his daughter’s quick thinking and her decision to share the matter with her parents.

“This is exactly how such incidents start. Children are often trapped online, later extorted for money, and in many cases, these crimes have even led to suicides,” Kumar warned.

The actor urged parents to closely monitor their children’s online activities and stressed the importance of awareness about the dangers on gaming and social platforms.

“Parents must educate their children, supervise online interactions, and teach them how to respond to strangers in digital spaces,” he added.

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