Famous Indian Actress charged under Section 295 (Blasphemy Law)
Kerala Police on Tuesday (Dec 14,2010) filed a chargesheet against Kannada film actress Jayamala, four years after she made a controversial claim that she had touched the idol of Lord Ayyappa at the famous Sabarimala temple in violation of the hill shrine custom. 50-year old Jayamala has been listed as the third accused after astrologer Parappanangadi Unnikrishnan and his Bangalore-based aide Raghupathy for their alleged “deliberate and malicious act to outrage” religious sentiments by hatching a conspiracy involving her.
The chargesheet was filed in the first class judicial magistrate court at Ranni in Pathanamthitta District. The ‘revelation’ by the actress in June 2006 raised a storm. A crime branch probe found that it was only a “conspiracy” hatched by the astrologer and his aide. The chargesheet said the accused were involved in a deliberate and malicious act intended to outrage religious feelings under section 295 of Indian Penal Code.
Jayamala, a former president of Karnataka Film Chamber of Commerce, had claimed she had in her prime youth entered the sanctum sanctorum and touched the idol of the presiding deity. Women in the 10-50 age group are barred from entering the temple. [as they are of menstruation age]
How the Underlying Issue was Created
The issue had been somewhat forgotten till Jayamala made a trip to Kasargod. She was to have inaugurated a drama but when word got out about this, Vishwa Hindu Parishad activists of that area made a galatta. They surrounded her car and would not let her get down, so without any other solution, Jayamala turned back and left the place.