Case filed against 2 for ‘disrespect’ in Mumbai

Didn’t stand up for national anthem

Head of the women’s wing in city Congress Sheetal Mhatre has filed a complaint against two women for not standing up while the national anthem was being played at a movie hall here and thus showing ‘disrespect’ to the country. At the other hand, the two women filed a cross complaint against Ms Mhatre for assaulting them.

The Congress leader had on Sunday filed a complaint at the Amboli police station, when she found two women, identified as Kashish Khan and Krushna Khandelwal, sitting while the national anthem was being played in a movie hall at Infinity Mall in suburban Andheri.

According to the police, Ms Mhatre, who had gone to the mall along with her friend Jyoti Bhatt, apparently approached the two women and said that they should have stood up while the anthem was being played. This incident led to a fight among the four of them and they filed cross complaints against each other.

Ms Khan and Ms Khandelwal, filed a cross complaint stating that Ms Mhatre had unnecessarily harassed both of them when they had come to watch movie. They also alleged that the political leader had hurled abuses at them and threatened to beat them up.

Commenting on the incident, Ms Mhatre said, “ Both the women were from a film background and they did not stand for the national anthem when I told them to stand they started arguing with me. Later things became worse because of their behaviour.”

Amboli police station senior police inspector Ramesh Khadtare said, “We have received complaints from both the parties and are investigating in the matter from both sides. Soon, we will take action against the culprit.”

A family was similarly asked to leave a movie hall in suburban Mumbai last year by the audience for not standing up while the national anthem was being played.