Friday,
June
30,
2006
New
Delhi
(UNI):
Actor
Shilpa
Shetty,
embroiled
in
a
obscenity
case
in
Madurai,
today
approached
the
National
Commission
for
Women
(NCW),
seeking
its
support
in
dealing
with
the
issue.
Shilpa's
spokesperson
met
Commission
chairperson
Girija
Vyas
and
gave
her
a
memorandum
in
this
regard,
a
NCW
official
said.
The
official
said
the
actor
has
sought
''support''
in
dealing
with
the
issue.
However,
the
official
said
the
matter
is
in
court
and
the
Commission
will
study
the
memorandum
before
commenting
on
it.
A
Madurai-based
lawyer
had
filed
the
case
against
Shilpa,
Reema
and
Murugan,
the
editor
of
Tamil
Murasu
over
a
controversial
picture.
The
photograph,
a
freeze-frame
shot,
was
from
her
super-hit
Kannada
film
Auto
Shankar,
released
last
year
with
'universal
viewing'
certificate.
The
picture,
which
appeared
in
hoardings,
was
taken
from
the
censored
version
of
the
film,
and
was
later
reproduced
by
Tamil
Murasu,
an
eveninger.
Shilpa
had
rejected
the
charges,
saying
she
is
a
responsible
citizen
who
would
not
do
anything
to
offend
people's
sensibilities.
The
actor
had
said
she
had
not
taken
part
in
any
photo-shoot
for
the
picture
in
question
and
neither
has
she
given
anyone
permission
to
use
such
a
picture,
taken
by
pausing
a
sequence
from
the
film.
The
National
Commission
for
Women
(NCW)
has
pledged
complete
support
to
actress
Shilpa
Shetty
in
the
'obscenity
case'
filed
against
her
by
an
advocate
in
Madurai.
The
actress's
spokesperson
and
publicist
Dale
Bhagwagar,
who
submitted
a
memorandum
to
the
NCW
in
New
Delhi
on
the
actress's
behalf,
informed
that
Shilpa
was
currently
in
Bangkok
shooting
for
Anil
Sharma's
Apne.
The
case
was
filed
in
connection
with
a
photograph
of
the
actress
which
appeared
in
a
Tamil
magazine
called
'Tamil
Murasu'.
The
photo
is
actually
a
freeze-frame
shot
(taken
by
pausing
the
film)
from
her
superhit
Kannada
film
Auto
Shankar,
which
was
approved
by
the
Censor
Board
for
universal
viewing.
According
to
Mr
Bhagwagar,
chairperson
of
NCW
Dr
Girija
Vyas
said,
''
When
the
Censor
Board
has
cleared
her
film
for
public
viewing,
where
does
the
question
of
obscenity
arise?''
''Ms
Sharmila
Tagore,
being
the
chief
of
the
Censor
Board,
should
also
come
forth
in
Shilpa's
support.
In
fact,
all
self-respecting
women
of
India
should,''
she
added.
Mr
Bhagwagar
reiterated
that
Shilpa
had
not
received
any
summons.
He
also
added
that
besides
the
fact
that
the
picture
did
not
offend
sensibilities,
Shilpa
had
neither
posed
for
it,
nor
had
given
anyone
permission
to
publish
it.
''There
has
been
indiscriminate
misreporting
in
the
media,
which
has
given
undue
national
importance
to
this
frivolous
case.
This
tarnished
Shilpa
Shetty's
clean
image.
Ms
Shetty
is
not
only
hurt
over
the
case
filed
against
her,
but
is
also
feeling
targeted,
hassled
and
victimised
by
it.
She
is
a
responsible
actress
and
citizen
and
would
never
participate
in
anything
crude,''
Mr
Bhagwagar
added.
Dale
Bhagwagar
in
a
memorandum
on
behalf
of
MS
Shetty,
gave
details
of
the
case
to
the
NCW
and
said
the
Madurai
advocate
might
be
using
her
name
and
celebrity
status
to
gain
mileage
for
himself
in
his
hometown.
Shilpa
is
being
made
a
scapegoat,
paying
the
price
for
being
a
celebrity,
and
that
too,
on
an
issue
which
is
as
frivolous
as
terming
a
simple
and
decent
photograph
as
'obscene',
he
added.
Ms
Shetty
has
been
regularly
shooting
for
her
films
off
late
and
has
been
in
and
out
of
the
country.
Currently
too,
she
is
in
Bangkok,
shooting
for
Anil
Sharma's
film
Apne.
The
memorandum
also
took
objection
to
media
misreporting
on
the
case.
It
has
been
reported
in
the
media
that
Ms
Shetty
received
summons
from
the
court
in
Madurai.
She
has
not
received
any
summons.
There
have
also
been
several
reports
in
the
media
throughout
the
country
saying
that
there
is
a
non-bailable
warrant
has
been
issued
against
Shilpa
Shetty.
On
verifying
the
matter
with
the
court,
Shilpa's
lawyer
in
Madurai
has
informed
that
it
is
very
much
a
bailable
warrant
which
has
been
issued
by
the
court.
''I,
on
behalf
of
Shilpa
Shetty,
am
making
an
urgent
appeal
to
you-
Ms
Chairperson--
and
all
the
Members
of
your
renowned
association
to
please
take
up
the
matter
and
help
Shilpa
Shetty
live
a
life
with
dignity
and
protect
her
rights,''
Mr
Bhagwagar
said.