Bengaluru: Film director, six others booked in junior artiste death case

BENGALURU: The Rajanukunte police have booked seven people, including the director and cinematographer of the untitled movie, in connection with the death of a junior artiste at the shooting spot on Sunday.

Director Nanda Kishore, who has directed several blockbusters like ‘Adhyaksha’ and ‘Ranna’, the director of photography of the movie Heggade and manager of the film unit Narasimha have been booked for causing death by negligence. Besides, Shekhar and Gowramma, who brought the deceased to the shooting spot, owner of the Prestige Group apartment, where the incident took place, contractor of the construction works, and others have been made accused in the case.

They have been charged with SC&ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act as the deceased Padmamma belonged to Scheduled Caste. Police are yet to question the accused.

The complaint filed by Lakshmamma, mother of the deceased, stated that she along with her sister Nagarathnamma and daughter Padmamma were acting as junior artistes.

“The director, cinematographer and manager had asked junior artistes to stand at all the floors from 1st to 5th floors, and were shooting. Nagarathnamma and I were on the first floor,, while Padmamma was on the fifth floor. Around 3 pm, Shekhar told me that Padmamma had fallen into the lift pit from the fifth floor. When I went to check, she had already died. The negligence in not taking safety steps at the shooting spot has led to the incident,” the complaint stated.

Police tried to the accused, but they were reportedly not at home and their mobile phones were switched off. Police suspect that Padmamma would have gone to the edge of the floor to attend nature’s call, lost balance and fallen into the pit.