Dear friends in the Media and all Indians,
Freelance film journalist Jyothi Venkatesh - whom I have known for the last 13-15 years as a lovable, helpful and jovial scribe - was arrested on Friday (1st May) by the Versova – a part of Andheri in suburban Mumbai - police as a co-accused in a culpable homicide not amounting to murder case.
While I do not want to get into the details of the case and wouldn’t want to influence, hamper or disturb the police investigation in anyway, I know that Jyothi is innocent. His only crime was that he was at the wrong place at the wrong time. He probably just took a lift home after work (probably after attending a filmi party) and ended up in the wrong car with the wrong person.
His only crime was that he didn’t go to the police after knowing that the car he was in (or the driver who was driving the car he was in, had accidentally or without intention to, or in a temporary loss of reason) had knocked down two persons – one of them fatally - who were threatening him over a financial dispute.
Maybe Jyothi thought he would go to the police the next day. Maybe he thought he would contact his lawyers before going there. Whatever be the reason, I find it impossible to even dream that Jyothi Venkatesh – who has helped several struggling Bollywood actors in the last two decades, would have tried to avoid the law or would have been involved in anything illegal.
For those of you who are unaware of the case here are the press reports (based on info given out by the police in their FIR, which is normally the prosecution or police story)
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Cities/Mumbai/Film-journalist-aide-held-for-running-over-man/articleshow/4479962.cms
While the law has to take its course, Jyothi needs to be treated fairly, as a human being and as a respectable member of our civilized society. I am told that his family members who tried to visit him at the general police lockup next to Andheri (East) Police Station were not allowed to give him basic amenities like a change of clothes, soap, a towel, toothbrush, etc.
While a known terrorist Ajmal Kasab who cold-bloodedly gunned down over 50 persons and threatened the peace of the entire city and the nation at large has the gumption to ask for perfumes and newspapers and wants to take a walk around the Arthur Road Prison premises like a lord and is given a separate cell with an exclusive toilet and water tap connection, Jyothi Venkatesh will have to share a barrack with 180 persons (a barrack which is meant to house not more than 70 persons) and will also have share two water tap outlets with 200 plus inmates.
While every minor change in the health, heartbeat or skin condition of terrorist Ajmal Kasab is monitored by jail doctors, Jyothi Venkatesh who brought us juicy tidbits from the entertainment world for over two decades will have to share ‘daris’ that are not washed for months, that are infected by lice, moths and every known bacterium in the living world.
While Kasab’s food has to strictly confirm to the stipulations of the Jail Manual, Jyothi will get hot coloured water called dal and hardened, semi-cooked rotis – better for burning in the ‘handi’s’ than for eating.
Friends (and enemies too who keep circulating defamatory, false and damaging emails about me to my clients and colleagues) Jyothi doesn’t deserve to be sent to Arthur Road Jail, which he will not be able to avoid once he is granted judicial custody.
Under section 302 IPC (or 304 IPC) under which Jyothi is being held by the police, he cannot be granted bail by the Magistrate’s Court. Technically speaking, the Sessions Court – which can grant him bail - will only entertain his bail application when the mandatory Police Remand expires and Jyothi is sent to JC or Judicial Custody. This means that Jyothi will have to spend time at Arthur Road Jail and cannot avoid a visit to the Bombay Central Prison as it’s also called.
Please click on the comments link at the bottom of this post and leave your comments in support of Jyothi Venkatesh demanding of the authorities that he be treated fairly, humanely and hopefully better than how terrorists are treated in this country.
Sincerely
Flynn Remedios
TO SUPPORT JYOTHI VENKATESH AND URGE THE POLICE/JAIL AUTHORITIES TO TREAT HIM HUMANELY, PLEASE LEAVE YOUR COMMENTS HERE WITH YOUR NAME AND SOME CONTACT DETAILS. PLEASE DEMAND HIS PROMPT RELEASE AS MAY BE PERMITTED UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF LAW.
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