It’s not too late to say sorry — court
Govinda advised to apologise to man he slapped in 2008
The Indian Supreme Court on Monday asked Bollywood veteran Govinda to settle a dispute with a man whom he allegedly slapped in 2008 by apologising. Pointing out that what may work in “reel life” may not be OK in “real life”, a bench of Chief Justices — comprising Justices T.S. Thakur and V. Gopala Gowda — counselled Govinda, telling him he was “a big hero, show your big heart”.
Asking Govinda to settle the matter with the accuser, Santosh Ray, the bench said: “We enjoy your films, but cannot tolerate you slapping somebody.”
The statements were made during the hearing of a petition by Ray, which challenged a previous Bombay High Court order quashing his complaint.
As the bench viewed the video clip of the act of violence on a mobile phone, the court said that such acts in public places could not be appreciated.
The next hearing for the case is slated for February 9.
On February 2, 2009, Ray lodged a complaint against Govinda, accusing him of causing hurt, intentional insult with an intent to provoke breach of the peace, and criminal intimidation. His complaint before a magistrate’s court was quashed by the high court in 2013. It had said: “No doubt some incident had occurred. However, there is no material to prove criminal intimidation. It appears that the complainant was instigated to file the complaint after a year.”