A coordination committee of police and the entertainment industry is being formed to address grievances so that cases like Raju Sapte’s suicide can be avoided. The suggestion came from the Joint Commissioner of Law And Order, Vishwas Nangare Patil who felt that it will help to have smooth communication between police and the entertainment industry. Any issues pertaining to the police can be raised on the platform to seek quick redress.
Speaking about the plan Nangare Patil said, “We have devised a plan of action. In fact, I have just finished a meeting with the producers, art directors and other members of various departments. All my senior inspectors, DCPs and ACPs also attended the meeting to understand the challenges faced by them and grievances are redressed immediately. The Mumbai Police will be working on this plan along with Mira Bhayandar and other units where maximum shootings take place. All the ACPs will be coordinating in the case.”
Film and TV producers have been facing issues from unions which are demanding payments to unions and not allowing payments to be given to the workers directly and taking a commission from that payment. Producer TP Agarwal said, “There is a committee being formed after the Raju Sapte incident. We are working on it right now.”
The Maharashtra Home Minister Dilip Patil held a meeting with the film industry and wants them to work fearlessly. The Mumbai Police have therefore begun acting on it by devising a plan to address all the grievances of the film industry. Nangare Patil said, “The police have received a lot of complaints about the film unions and producers have said that they are forced to make the payments to them and they deduct 2 percent and then give it to the workers. He said this complaint has already been made by them with EOW (Economic Offenses Wing) and that will also be addressed by us.”
The producers have also been facing harassment by unions and local goons which will also be addressed by the police. Nangare Patil said, “Our beat Marshals will be visiting sets to check if anyone has any issue and apart from that we are also planning to have a law like the one that was formed in 2010 for the security of the medical fraternity. In Maharashtra, film is a very important business. Therefore, a law will be formed so that a cognizable crime can be registered immediately.”
Often there are notorious people who come and destroy film sets. Therefore, a law that will make the assailants pay for the damages is needed. Nangare Patil said, “If there are old complaints pending, action will be taken and complaints that have not been registered will be registered and FIR will be filed in those cases. Our home minister has said that there should be fearlessness in the film industry when he held a meeting with them so we are acting on it. A WhatsApp group is being formed and I am going to be part of it for some time to streamline the process and functioning of the group.”
The police have already arrested notorious elements from Goregaon under MCOCA. Patil said, “There are 24 shootings happening in Goregaon area and after these arrests, their problems have reduced and we intend to make all the studios safe for the film industry to function without fear.” ( TOI )