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AGENCIES
NEW DELHI, DEC 9: The Supreme Court (SC) today took strong exception to film personalities briefing the media about their moves even after filing public interest litigation against violence by alleged Shiv Sena activists against screening of the controversial film Fire.
Fixing the hearing for December 15 on the petition filed by director Deepa Mehta, Dilip Kumar, Mahesh Bhatt and five others, a three-judge Bench headed by Chief Justice A S Anand and including Justices M Srinivasan and M B Shah, said,``(it is) better people stop talking to the Press as to what they are going to do.''
``You choose your forum -- either this or that (the media). If you have chosen that as the forum then there is no urgency in the matter,'' the Bench told counsel for the petitioners, Harish Salve, who agreed with the views of the court.
Salve said the matter needed urgent hearing as it not only involved a wider question about who could take the law unto themselves but also the day-to-day security of the director ofthe film. He said Mehta had been receiving threats to her life over the telephone and needed security.
The petitioners have sought a direction from the Court to Maharashtra Chief Minister Manohar Joshi, the Maharashtra Government, the Shiv Sena and its supremo, Bal Thackeray, ``to take all steps as are necessary to provide a sense of security, apart from mere protection so that the film can be exhibited''.
Copyright © 1998 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.
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