Chandigarh: January 8, 2009:- Acting on the complaint of Burning Brain chairperson and social activist Hemant Goswami against film star Ajay Devgan, a police inspector of Chandigarh Police went to hotel Taj, Chandigarh to issue prosecution slip (Challan) to Devgan yesterday evening.
The film crew and the actor made the police officer wait for a couple of hours and then asked him to come over the next morning at 10 am. Not only this Ajay’s manager also made the police officer talk to certain senior officers on the phone and this was reported by a section of press too. Again when the police officer went to serve the prosecution slip the next morning at 10 am, he was again made to wait for half an hour and then told that the actor has left for the shoot.
Against the evasion of the lawful process by Ajay Devgan and the film crew Hemant filed another complaint with the police. The complaint made today read, “There is an intent to obstruct a public servant from discharging his functions. Kindly make record of all the officers/persons who have talked with and tried to intervene on telephone with the police inspector as reported in the media. Such record may also be made available to the public who may request for it under the relevant provisions of the Indian law. Such an action of hindering in the work of a police officer clearly amounts to an offence under Section 186 of the Indian Penal Code and in the interest of justice and law, it is requested that prosecution process under Section 186 IPC be initiated against all such person.”
The complaint made today to the SSP also read, “Mr. Ajay Devgan is trying to evade the process of law and despite repeated attempts did not cooperate with the lawful legal process. He omitted to answer the public servant authorised to question and also omitted to assist a public servant whom Mr. Ajay Devgan was by law bound to assist. This constitutes an offence under Section 172, 174, 179 and 187 of the Indian Penal Code besides being violation of other laws. Such open evasion of the law and open contempt also send a very bad message to the general public and reduces their confidence in the system.”
Though smoking in public has a maximum penalty of Rs five hundred under section 278 but if Ajay Devgan continues to evade the process of law he can expose himself to action under Section 172 IPC which has penal consequences of upto six months of imprisonment for “Absconding in order to avoid being served with a summons, notice or order, proceeding form any public servant legally competent.”
