Mumbai music composer gets booked under Atrocities Act

Kolhapur: The Sangli City police have registered a case under the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocity) Act against a Mumbai-based music composer and filmaker (30) based on a complaint by Sangli resident Vidnyan Mane (34), a film producer. "A team has been sent to Mumbai to trace and secure custody of the accused composer," Sangli's deputy superintendent of police Sandeep Bhagwat said on Wednesday.The police have invoked charges under sections 3(1)(r) and 3(1)(s) (insults, intimidation, and abuse ) of the Atrocity Act besides sections 351(2) (criminal intimidation) and 352 (intentional insult) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita following the complaint lodged on Monday. The offences under the Atrocity Act are cognisable and non-bailable.According to the complainant, the alleged crime took place in Nov last year at toll plaza along the Sangli-Ashta road. The complainant had given a Rs25 lakh loan to the music composer nearly two years ago for directing a movie and he was demanding his money back from the composer. That is when a verbal exchange took place between the two and the composer allegedly hurled caste slurs and abuses at the complainant, it is alleged.Bhagwat said, "The complainant has submitted proofs in support of his claim of having lent money to the music composer. This includes their chats and screenshots of the transactions made. The complainant was promised a return of Rs 40 lakh on the Rs25 lakh he had loaned. The complainant claims that there were two to three eyewitnesses who heard the casteist abuse the accused made. The complainant claims that the music composer was planning to direct a movie which could not happen."