The Hindu : TV serial producers face arrests

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, Aug 10, 2002

National

National

TV serial producers face arrests

By K. Balchand

PATNA AUG. 9. A supporter of the Rashtriya Janata Dal leader, Laloo Prasad Yadav, has filed a defamation suit following which police have set off to Mumbai to arrest eight persons involved in producing the TV serial `Ramkhelawan and Family'. It is being shown on SAB channel.

The complaint was lodged at the Kotwali police station here by Sunil Kumar Singh, once a fellow student of Mr. Yadav's eldest daughter, Misa Bharati, at the Patna Medical College. No sooner was the complaint lodged than the DSP in-charge, Shashi Bhushan Sharma, got warrants from the Chief Judicial Magistrate to arrest those named in the FIR. Dr. Singh lodged the FIR against the Adhikari Brothers Television Network Limited Chairman-cum-Managing Director, Gautam Adhikari, the Vice-Chairman, Markandey Adhikari, the serial director, Vijay Acharya, the producer, Ashwini Dhir, the lead actor, Mr. Vineet Narayan, who plays the purported role of Mr. Yadav, actress Sushmita Mukherjee, actor Mr. Sajay Mishra and Mr. Verma. Apart from charging them with tarnishing the image of Mr. Yadav and his family, the complainant also accused them of creating a social divide. The FIR also alleged that the serial had hurt the sentiments of the people of Bihar. Mr. Laloo Yadav said " How can they deny that the serial was not centred around me. They had admitted that they had been inspired by Laloo Yadav". Mr. Yadav was also upset over the manner in which the serial had portrayed his brother-in-law. It showed him as luring industrialists and then harassing them to extort money. "It is an insult to Bihar."

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