Bollywood's brush with law has a long history

From murder to rape to hit-and-run to extortion — Bollywood has had its brush with law-enforcement agencies for over three decades.

When Aryan Khan, the 23-year-old son of celebrity couple Shah Rukh Khan and Gauri Khan was arrested in a drugs case from on board a cruise ship last week, Bollywood was again in the spotlight for wrong reasons.

One of the top stars to serve jail sentence is Sanjay Dutt - in connection for keeping a Kalashnikov assault rifle which was part of the consignment that landed ahead of the 12 March, 1993 Mumbai serial blasts case. A TADA court in Mumbai had convicted him which was upheld by the Supreme Court.

Salman Khan was arrested in connection with a hit-and-run case registered in 2003, in which one person died and two others got injured. Salman was convicted by the Mumbai Sessions Court, however, the Bombay High Court acquitted him. The matter is currently in the Supreme Court.

Salman was also arrested in the blackbuck poaching case. Saif Ali Khan, the 10th Nawab of Pataudi, Sonali Bendre, Tabu and Neelam were co-accused in the case.

Recently, Salman at the premiere night of reality show ‘Bigg Boss’ jokingly said: “Jitni lifelines mujhe aur Sanju ko mili hai utni kisi ko nahi mili hai (no one has got the number of lifelines Sanju and I have received).”

On March 30, 2011, actor Shiney Ahuja was convicted by a Mumbai court for raping his house maid nearly two years back. He was ordered to undergo a jail term of seven years. He is currently out on bail.

Another important case involves the Anand-family. Ketan Anand and Vivek Anand, the sons of legendary filmmaker Chetan Anand and nephews of Dev Anand and Goldie Anand, were accused of murdering Priya Rajvansh. She was the companion of Chetan Anand.

Their motive was thought to be rights to her inheritance of Chetan Anand’s property. The four accused - Ketan and Vivek - and two employees - were convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment in July 2002.

Small-time Bollywood actor Maria Susairaj was alleged to have killed TV executive Neeraj Grover. However, she was acquitted of murder charges. In 2011, she was found guilty of destroying evidence. Former naval officer Emile Jerome Mathew, the alleged fiancée of Kannada starlet Susairaj, got a jail term. Neeraj was stabbed several times by Mathew in a rented flat at Malad. Later Mathew and Maria disposed of his body in the jungles of Manor. The body was chopped beyond recognition.

Bharat Shah, the leading diamond merchant, fell into trouble with his film ‘Chori Chori Chupke Chupke’ (2001). It was financed by Shah and produced by Nasim Rizvi at the behest of Pakistan-based gangster Chhota Shakeel. Shah, was, however, acquitted in the case by the special MCOCA court.

In September 2002, Monica Bedi was arrested along with fugitive underworld don Abu Salem by the Lisbon police for entering Portugal with forged documents.

They served jail sentences in Portugal. After years of legal battle, they were deported to India on November 11, 2005, after India promised Portugal that Salem would not receive the death sentence. She was arrested in a passport forgery case. On November 9, 2010, the Supreme Court upheld her conviction by a lower court, however, reduced her sentence to the period of imprisonment she had already undergone (two-and-half years).

Music composer Nadeem Saifi of the famed Nadeem-Shravan duo, was named as one of the accused behind the murder of music magnate Gulshan Kumar, owner of T-series. He was in England when his name cropped up. His passport was revoked, and to avoid arrest, he stayed in England. The House of Lords upheld the London High Court’s decision against the extradition in the 1997 murder case, and turned down the Indian government’s plea for review.

On May 5, 2001, Fardeen Khan was arrested from the Juhu area for possession of cocaine from a dealer. The case proceeded before a special NDPS court. A few years ago, a court granted him immunity from prosecution in the case. However, the court made it clear that if he is arrested for a similar offence in the future, the immunity against him shall be withdrawn.