By Firoz.T.Totanawala
The Bangalore Metro Reporter
THE REAL FILM!
DARSHAN EPISODE- SANDALWOOD BLUNDERS
Film actor Darshan had assaulted his wife inflicting serious injuries and threatened to kill her. She lodged a police complaint and they registered a case and arrested Darshan who was drunk at that time. The entire sandalwood reacted as if it was the sandalwood that was arrested. Ambarish, the sandalwood leader along with others forced Darshan’s wife Vijayalaxmi to compromise and at the end of the day she withdrew the complaint. She even changed her statement, but, the court was not convinced and sent Darshan back to jail. The ban on another actress Nikitha has made the sandalwood, a laughing stock.
Darshan, a leading Kannada actor has followed the politicians in the art of avoiding jail. While he was ushered into the jail for domestic violence against his wife, he collapsed and was rushed to the Hospital where he was treated for asthma and other assorted ailments. The sandalwood people made a beeline to the Rajiv Gandhi Hospital to meet him and his fans too were in full strength.
The case against Darshan is simple. He beat his wife black and blue and also threatened with his revolver to kill her. His wife who could no more tolerate such inhuman treatment complained to the police and was admitted to a Nursing Home. The police took her statement and filed charges of Domestic violence, attempt to murder etc. against Darshan and arrested him when he came to see her in the Nursing home. He was drunk then and the police also got him tested for alcohol.
As the news of Darshan’s arrest spread, the entire sandalwood assembled at the Vijayanagara police station to get him released. His fans also gathered there and demanded his release. They even damaged few buses and when the situation threatened to go out of control, the police used lathis to disperse the mob.
The sandalwood led by its leader Ambarish then went to the Nursing Home to meet Vijayalaxmi and forced her to withdraw the complaint. How can one expect Vijayalaxmi to resist the pressure of sandalwood biggies? The inevitable happened and she agreed for a compromise. But, as the charges were grave, the police could not release Darshan on their own and it was now on the court to release him on bail.
The scene now shifted to Magistrate Court where the police buckling under the sheer weight of Sandalwood, produced Darshan at Magistrate’s residence. Vijayalaxmi, who was still recovering from the injuries, was also brought to Magistrate’s residence and there she made her statement of withdrawing her complaint saying that the injuries she suffered were due to her fall in the bathroom. However, as the law does not permit bail to Darshan at this juncture, the Magistrate sent him to jail. And once in jail, Darshan collapsed ostensibly for exhaustion. He was shifted from one hospital to another and was finally lodged in the Rajiv Gandhi Hospital. The film stars etc. had free access to Darshan in the hospital and the rest is history.
Then, the Producers’ Association under the chairmanship of its President Munirathna, took a shocking decision and banned actress Nikitha from acting in Kannada films for three years! This was because Vijayalaxmi, in her complaint had alleged that Nikita was the cause of discord in her family. But what is that got to do with her ‘ban’ by the producers? The Producers’ Association had not thought it fit to hear the other side before taking such a big decision!
Whatsoever, what Darshan did was a criminal offence and he shall be punished for it.
If the sandalwood leaders wanted to help Darshan, they could have provided legal and moral support to him. But the leaders instead made a mockery of the law of the land by forcing his wife to withdraw the complaint and make false statements before the court. She made the false statement of sustaining injuries by a fall in the bathroom, firstly, when Darshan was produced before the Magistrate at his residence and secondly, in the court when the bail plea was before the Magistrate.
In fact, by making her change the statement, the sandalwood leaders have put her in danger of ‘perjury’ for which the court can take note and punish her after the trial. The leaders too can be proceeded against by the same offence by the court if the Magistrate minds! Heavens would not have fallen if Darshan spent some time in the jail for the crime committed as an under trial until he got the bail. But the sandalwood leaders were not prepared to wait because some of the producers have invested crores in the Darshan starring films which are in various stages of production. Obviously, money matters more to them than the law of the land and the domestic violence.
What more, the sandalwood leaders even forced the police to alter the charges against Darshan. Darshan was charged under section 107 that is attempt to murder which is a heinous and non-bailable crime. Only the Sessions judge has the power to grant bail to the accused charged with Section 107 and as such, the Magistrate can not grant bail to Darshan even if his wife makes Volta facie by withdrawing her complaint against him. The Sandalwood leaders when realised this serious issue brought immense pressure on the police to change the Section 107. Everybody knows that film stars command influence at all levels and even the politicians in power also court film stars who command big fan following.
The police succumbed to the pressure and filed a memo before the court for replacing Section 107 with 324 which deals with assaults resulting in grievous injuries. This incidence throws much light on the manipulations and machinations of the people who wield power. Will the police oblige ordinary people the same way? While the Magistrate now had the powers to grant bail to the accused charged with Section 324, he however, refused to accept the police theory and rejected Darshan’s bail application stating that it can be granted only by the Sessions Judge. The law of the land prevailed at least to this extent.
Of course, this is not the end.
The producers’ association banned actress Nikita for three years with the reason that she is the root cause for the rift between the Darshan and his wife! This is absolutely ridiculous. Even assuming that Nikita has an affair with Darshan, how does it attract the ban on Nikita? The association would have been appreciated had they banned Darshan who committed a grave crime of domestic violence. But they had no guts because of piles of money invested on his films under making. They therefore backed him in stead. Besides, they also did not hear Nikita’s version and simply gave the dog a bad name and hanged it! There can be no other reasons, let alone valid ones.
The sandalwood leaders should be ashamed of their role in the Darshan episode. They forced his wife to withdraw the complaint and make false statements before the court. They forced the police to change the sections to enable Darshan get the bail. And they banned an actress for Darshan’s crime.
This simply indicates ‘jungle justice’ in the Sandalwood. Fortunately some leaders have taken exception to these developments and condemned these ‘manipulative’ leaders. This is the only silver lining in the entire episode.
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