Case against Karanth for bid to kill actress

NK SINGH

The Bhopal police on Sunday registered a case against Mr B. V. Karanth, director of the Madhya Pradesh Rangmandal, the state Government- backed repertory, in connection with the alleged attempt to murder a young and pretty actress of his troupe.

The case, registered under sections 307 (attempt to murder) and 201 (causing disappearance of evidence of an offence or giving false information), has caused a sensation in the town, particularly in cultural circles.

Mr Karanth, a prominent theatre personality, once headed the prestigious National School of Drama. He is also chairman of the MP Film Development Corporation, a state government undertaking.

The actress, 27-year-old Ms Vibha Mishra, received near-fatal burns at her residence in the exclusive Professors' Colony on Saturday afternoon. Mr Karanth was allegedly present in the house when the incident took place, eyewitnesses and neighbours told the police.

Ms Mishra, whose condition was described by doctors, as "precarious" suffered 75 per cent burns. She declared that she was "accidentally" burnt while cooking. The police pointed out several contradictions in her statement. On Sunday, the police also issued a summons to Mr Karanth to appear for a medico-legal examination. Mr Karanth, who had reportedly received burns on his hands during the incident, had not submitted to a medico-legal examination despite repeated requests by the police.

The police also recovered from Ms Mishra's house some liquor bottles and letters purported to have been exchanged between her and Mr Karanth, who stays in the same colony. Investigating officials believe the letters may help them in solving the mystery surrounding the case. 

This is not the first incident of its sort involving Rangmandal artistes. A couple of years ago, another vivacious and pretty actress of the repertory was murdered in her house in the walled city.

Mr Karanth is understood to have told the police that he had gone to Ms Mishra's house "to fetch a book" when he found her aflame. He tried to save her and took her to hospital in his car.

The general secretary of the Madhya Pradesh Janata party, Mrs Savita Bajpeyi on Sunday demanded a judicial inquiry into the functioning of Bharat Bhawan, the state Government's prestigious arts complex, which also house Rangmandal.

Bharat Bhavan, she told newsmen, had become "a den of debauchery for certain politicians and senior IAS officials". She demanded reorganisation of the Bharat Bhawan Trust and the state culture department and protection for lady artistes working there.

Bharat Bhavan is run by a trust chaired by the ruling Congress-I vice- president, Mr Arjun Singh, who is one of its life trustees, Its affairs are managed by the trust secretary, Мг Ashok Vajpayee, a senior IAS officer and culture secretary in the Madhya Pradesh Government.

Mr Karanth is also one of the trustees of Bharat Bhavan, which was con- structed five years ago with public funds as well as Ford Foundation money.

Mrs Rukmini Bhargava, who heads the local unit of the Self-Employed Women's Association (SEWA), said a delegation of women will call on the Chief Minister, Mr Motilal Vora, on Monday to demand an inquiry into the alleged corruption in Bharat Bhavan.

The organising secretary of the MPCC- 1, Mr Bhupendra Gupta, said in a statement that the chain of incidents involving Bharat Bhavan's lady artistes had made a thorough probe imperative. 

Indian Express

May 25, 1986