MUMBAI, Dec 31: Cases against filmstars Salman Khan, Shah Rukh Khan, Sanjay Dutt and Govinda, disputes over properties of Bollywood personalities late Rajesh Khanna, Lata Mangeshkar and Adnan Sami, copyrights issue and Adarsh scam hogged the limelight during 2013.
In an 11-year-old hit-and-run case involving Salman, a magistrate, early this year, charged the actor with added offence of culpable homicide not amounting to murder which attracts 10 years jail term. The sessions court framed charges against Salman on July 24 and held on December 5 that the trial will be held afresh while discarding old evidence.
On May 16, actor Sanjay Dutt surrendered before a TADA court to serve a 42-month jail sentence after the Supreme Court upheld his conviction in the 1993 bomb blast case. He was sent to Yerwada Jail in Pune.
Dutt has to undergo five years imprisonment in jail for which he has already served 18 months 20 years ago. Since then he was released temporarily twice, on furlough and parole respectively, inviting criticism that he was favoured.
Superstar Shah Rukh and wife Gauri grabbed the headlines after an activist filed a complaint against them alleging they had done sex determination test of their third child born through surrogacy. However, the Mumbai civic body, in a probe, gave them a clean chit.
Actor Govinda got a reprieve when the Bombay High Court quashed a complaint filed in 2009 by Santosh Rai accusing the actor of slapping and intimidating him in 2009. The court observed there was no material to take action against Govinda.
The high court stayed proceedings against Dimple Kapadia, in a magistrate’s court on a complaint filed by Anita Advani who claimed to be live-in partner of Rajesh Khanna and sought share in his property as well as monthly maintenance.
In a relief to Lata, the high court, on December 7, dismissed a PIL challenging a 1982 decision of Maharashtra government allowing change of user on a plot of land in Kolhapur, belonging to the singer.
In another petition filed in the high court on November 27, Lata challenged a state government notice issued to her on January 4 by a competent authority under Land Ceiling Act saying she had to obtain permission before selling any immovable property on her land in Kolhapur.
Even as this matter is yet to be decided, the singer filed another petition challenging a state order to declare Jay Prabha Studio standing on her Kolhapur plot as a heritage structure. The high court has asked the state to file a reply.
In a setback to singer Sami, the Bombay High Court, on December 16, asked him and his relatives to vacate the duplex flats in a multi-tower building in posh Lokhandwala complex area of suburban Andheri within two months to facilitate the entry of his divorced wife Sabah Galadari.
The court also asked Sami to give his passport to police as his sureties had withdrawn in bail granted to him in a domestic violence case filed against him by his ex-wife.
A petition in the high court challenged U/A certificate given to Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s “Goliyon ki Rasleela- Ramleela”. The court asked Censor Board to reconsider granting certificate to the film and find out whether guidelines were followed while awarding the certificate.
In a legal dispute on the copyright of a remake of the 1973 blockbuster “Zanjeer”, script writers Salim Khan and Javed Akthar on September 4 arrived at a financial settlement with producers. They had demanded Rs 6 crore but court asked them to settle amicably. Although the dispute was settled, it was not known how much amount was paid to the script writers.
In another copyright issue, the high court, on December 4, rejected producer Ramesh Sippy’s plea seeking a stay on the release of 3D version of “Sholay” made by his nephew Sasha.
In yet another copyright issue, on October 29, the high court refused to grant relief to a writer who alleged copyright violation of the script of “Krissh-3” and demanded Rs two crore for writing the story.
Actress Preity Zinta filed a suit in high court to recover Rs two crore she had lent to Shandar Amrohi, elder son of filmmaker Kamal Amrohi, to fight legal battles. Shandar passed away in August 2011 but the court asked his legal heirs not to create third party rights on their properties.
In a cheque bouncing case, Zinta was asked to pay Rs 10,000 costs by a court on December 21. A writer of her film had dragged Zinta to court for not paying dues.
Former Miss World Yukta Mookhey got entangled in a domestic dispute with her estranged husband Prince Tuli and his family this year.
Yukta lodged a complaint against her husband and in-laws for domestic violence and harassment. She also accused Tuli of unnatural sex. The Bombay High Court suggested the couple o try resolving their differences and appointed a mediator.
Vihari Sheth, managing director of Singapore-based Vihari Jewels and daughter of Rajesh Sheth who owns Vihari Jewels, was arrested on August 2 by DRI for allegedly smuggling diamond studded gold jewellery worth Rs 2.35 crore in her inner wear. She was later released on bail.
Bollywood actress Jiah Khan’s suicide at her Juhu home in June sent shockwaves among her family, friends and industry and landed her alleged beau Sooraj Pancholi, son of actor Aditya Pancholi, in jail for abetment of her suicide. He was later granted bail by the high court.
Jiah’s mother Rabiya alleged her daughter was murdered.
The scam-tainted Adarsh housing society continued to be embroiled in legal tangles with the two-member inquiry commission indicting four ex-chief ministers for alleged favoritism and patronage to the society in its final report.
The government, however, rejected the report which created a hue and cry.
The CBI gave a clean chit to union Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde. However, former CM Ashok Chavan, who was named as an accused by CBI, got relief with the Maharashtra governor refusing to grant sanction to prosecute him.
NCP chief Sharad Pawar got a relief with the Bombay High Court quashing and setting aside an order passed by a lower court temporarily restraining him from functioning as president of the Mumbai Cricket Association.
On November 26, a city civil court had passed an interim order while hearing an application filed by senior BJP leader Gopinath Munde seeking Pawar to be restrained from functioning as MCA chief pending hearing of his suit challenging the NCP supremo’s election as its chief.
In another case, the State Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) and Economic Offences Wing (EOW) invited the ire of high court for not conducting a “fair and proper” investigation into the allegations of money laundering and land grabbing against Maharashtra minister and NCP leader Sunil Tatkare.
The court is hearing a PIL filed by BJP leader Kirit Somaiya seeking CBI probe against Tatkare and his family.
A Thane court, on November 29, convicted former Ulhasnagar MLA Suresh (Pappu) Kalani and 3 others in connection with murder of Ghansham Bhatija, a social activist, in 1990. All the three accused were awarded life imprisonment.
In a major security lapse, Afzal Usmani, an Indian Mujahideen operative accused in the 2008 Ahmedabad bombings, on September 20, escaped from a special MCOCA court when he was brought there for framing of charges. He was rearrested a month later.
In another case, a Pune court, on April 8, found a driver working with State Road Transport Corporation guilty for mowing down 9 people in a road rage incident in 2012. Santosh Mane, the driver, was awarded death sentence.
In yet another important case, 21 people, including 13 Mumbai policemen, were given life imprisonment by a sessions court on July 5 in the 2006 case of fake encounter killing of Ram Narayan Gupta alias Lakhan Bhaiya, an alleged aide of gangster Chhota Rajan.
However, judge V D Jadhwar acquitted co-accused and encounter specialist, inspector Pradeep Sharma of all charges.
In the IPL betting case, Gurunath Meiyappan, former owner of Chennai Super Kings and son-in-law of N Sriniwasan, actor Vindoo Dara Singh and 20 others were arrested by Mumbai Police. All the accused were named in a charge sheet for forgery, conspiracy and cheating.
In another case that had sent shockwaves all over, the Mumbai sessions court, on March 21, convicted six accused for allegedly raping and assaulting mentally challenged girls in an orphanage in Navi Mumbai. One of the convicts was awarded death sentence.
A Pune sessions court in April convicted Himayat Baig and awarded him the death penalty in the 2010 Pune German Bakery blast case that killed 17 people. Baig appealed against his conviction in the high court. He also filed an application seeking re-investigation in the case by an independent agency. (PTI)
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