Theatre director critically injured in attack

Violence over Bride at theatre - Journalists, woman injured in chaos at multiplex
The Asian Age

Bangalore, Oct. 9: Kannada Rakshana Vedike activists vandalised the Multiplex theatre on the Airport Road Saturday morning which was screening a non-Kannada movie, Bride and Prejudice defying the seven-week moratorium on these films.

The police said that a huge mob gathered inside the theatre premises and began pelting stones damaging the window panes. Chaos followed during which media reporters and photographers were also attacked, the police said.

According to Mr S. Prasad, the owner of the Multiplex theatre, the violence was triggered off when the mob started hurling stones at the theatre, which also hit the director of the company which owns the Multiplex, Anuradha on the head. She collapsed, bleeding profusely.

Reporters and cameramen who were at the theatre to cover the incident, were assaulted by the mob, Mr Prasad said. The injured reporters and photographers however claimed that the Multiplex theatre staff assaulted them. Ms Anuradha has been admitted to the intensive care unit of a private hospital. She is said to be critical. Those responsible for the attack escaped in the chaos, the police said.

Mr Prasad in his complaint lodged with the police, said that the loss to the theatre due to the act of vandalism is estimated at Rs 25 lakh. The HAL police has registered the complaint.
Mr Prasad also said the Multiplex would be closed till the controversy over the screening of non-Kannada movies is resolved.

The reporters and photographers who were seriously injured in the incident, are photographer Ananth Subramanya of the Deccan-Herald and Prajavani, Udaya TV cameraman Senthil Kumar and reporter Nandkumar. A complaint on the attack has been registered with the HAL police.

The Bangalore Reporters Guild, the Press Club of Bangalore and the Photojournalists’ Association of Bangalore have condemned the incident and have urged strict action against the culprits.