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Journalism of Courage
If public interest litigants have their way, then Madurai would be bustling with Bollywood stars. After Khusboo, Shilpa Shetty and Reema Sen, the latest to come under the 8216;moral spotlight8217; here is former Miss Universe and actor Sushmita Sen.
The Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court has issued a notice to the actor, returnable on January 7, 2008, on the basis of a complaint filed by an advocate against her for 8220;obscenity8221; and for 8220;making lewd sexual comments8221; in interviews to television channels and publications.
The criminal revision petition sought action against her for offences under Sections 292, 292 B, 293 and 294 of IPC for 8220;obscenity and lewd sexual comments,8221; besides Sections 499 and 500 of IPC Defamation, Sections 3 and 4 of the Indecent Representation of Women Prohibition Act and Sections 2, 3 and 6 of Young Persons Harmful Publication Act. Admitting the petition, Justice A Selvam ordered notice to the actor.
The petition has been clubbed along with another filed earlier in January this year before a lower court in Madurai, said lawyer Peter Ramesh, representing Kumar. The earlier petition was based on an interview in October, 2006, in which she allegedly said that 8220;enquiring from a man whether or not he was married before falling in love with him was beyond comprehension8221;. Her statement was a 8220;direct insult to womanhood,8221; the petitioner said.
In June last year, a local court in Madurai issued arrest warrants against actors Shilpa Shetty and Reema Sen for posing 8220;in an obscene manner8221; for photographs, which a Tamil eveninger, Tamil Murasu owned by the Maran family, published between December 2005 and January 2006. Khusboo too was issued a warrant for 8220;casting aspersions on the judiciary8221; in her media comments supporting Shetty and Sen.
