HC directs Sunny, Karisma to appear in 11-year-old case

Jaipur, March 05: Staying an arrest warrant against actors Sunny Deol and Karisma Kapoor, Rajashthan High Court on Thursday directed them to appear before a Railway court and submit bail bonds within a month in connection with an 11-year -old case of disrupting rail traffic during a film shoot. Dismissing a petition by the actors that was pending for last 11 years, Justice Mahesh Chandra Sharma directed Deol and Kapoor to appear before the Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate (Railway) Court Jaipur and furnish a person bail bond of Rs 25,000 for their alleged non-appearance before the court despite a warrant being issued against them.

The two actors, fight master Tinu Verma and Satish Shah were accused of illegally entering Narena railway station of Phulera in Ajmer division of Railway for shoot of the film `Bajrang` and pulling the chain of a train in 1997. The unit was shooting at village Sanvarda when the director followed by large crowd entered the platform as soon as the train was about to stop there. When the train was leaving, the unit members allegedly pulled the emergency chain, delaying it for 25 minutes and disrupting rail traffic. A report was lodged with the Police station GPR, Phulera and an FIR was filed against the film crew. The ACJM (Railway) court Jaipur took congisance of the matter and issued a warrant against the accused. On June 18, 1997, an application was filed by Deol and Kapoor requesting exemption from personal presence. The ACJM (Railway) dismissed the application and a petition was filed by the actors in the High Court. The petition remained pending for about 11 years until Justice Sharma today finally dismissed it but ordered a stay on the warrant issued against the film stars. However, the judge said if they fail to appear before the court and submit a personal bail bond of Rs 25,000 with two sureties of like amount, the court will be fee to issue a non-bailable warrant to ensure their presence. Bureau Report