NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Monday advised Bollywood actor Govinda to apologise to a person who had lodged a complaint accusing him of slapping and intimidating him in 2008.
“You are a big hero, show your big heart,” a Bench headed by Justice T S Thakur said, while suggesting the actor settle the dispute with complainant Santosh Rai.
Rai has appealed against the Bombay High Court’s decision quashing his complaint against Govinda, saying there was no material against the actor to show criminal intimidation. The court also watched the video clip of the incident on a mobile phone and suggested that the actor apologise to Rai.
“The actor does not need to do in real life what he does in reel life. We enjoy your films, but cannot tolerate you slapping somebody,” the Bench said and fixed February 9 as the next date of hearing on Rai’s appeal. The HC, in 2013, had quashed Rai’s private complaint lodged against Govinda before a metropolitan court in Mumbai. Rai had on February 2, 2009, filed the complaint under sections 323 (Punishment for voluntarily causing hurt), 504 (Intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of peace) and 506 (1) (Criminal intimidation) of the IPC.
The complaint was filed after the actor allegedly slapped Rai, who had visited his film sets, on January 16, 2008.
Govinda had approached the High Court seeking quashing of the proceedings initiated against him by the metropolitan magistrate’s court.
“The magistrate could not have taken cognizance of offences committed under section 323 and 504 as the complaint was filed a year after the incident allegedly occurred. Regarding section 506 (1) (criminal intimidation) the court should have first determined if there is prima facie material to prove it,” the HC had said.