30-sec summary
When something happens between a man and a woman, it's often the case that the man is assumed to be guilty until proven right and the woman is assumed to be innocent until proven wrong. Recently, Indian cricketer, Prithvi Shaw was in the news after a group of fans allegedly attacked him. The incident took place at a luxury hotel near the Mumbai airport in the early hours of Wednesday.
Incident
According to the complaint filed by Shaw’s friend Ashish Yadav, the incident started when Sapna Gill and her friend, Nishaank Thakur, approached Prithvi Shaw for a selfie at a hotel in Mumbai. Shaw initially allowed them to take a photo with him, but when they demanded more pictures, he declined their request. The two fans allegedly misbehaved with Shaw in an inebriated state, and the hotel manager intervened and asked them to leave.
After this, Shaw and his friend went to have dinner, and when they stepped out of the hotel, they saw Thakur holding a baseball bat in his hand. Thakur allegedly attacked the windshield of Shaw's car and Gill manhandled the cricketer. Shaw was shifted to another car while his friend drove his vehicle to Oshiwara.
According to Shaw's friend, three motorcycles and a white-colored car started chasing their vehicle. At around 4 am, the chasers attacked the car while it was taking a u-turn near a petrol pump on Link Road. Thakur was among the people chasing the vehicle and allegedly attacked the windshield with a baseball bat. Six people on motorcycles, along with Gill and Thakur in a car, abused Shaw's friend, the complaint said.
Viral video of Prithvi Shaw
In recent times, a video has been circulating on the internet showing Prithvi Shaw holding a stick. As per Ashish Yadav, while leaving a hotel, a woman and her friend attacked their car three times with a stick, which prompted Shaw and Yadav to step out of the car. Shaw then attempted to take the stick from the woman to avoid further harm to the vehicle.
Our opinion and Observation around this Incident
1. Respect for privacy is important
The incident raises a few questions about the safety and privacy of celebrities. While it's understandable that fans might get excited upon seeing their favourite celebrities, it's important to remember that they are people too and they have a right to their personal space and privacy.
In this case, it can be seen as a case of ego where a fan asked to think that their favorite celebrities are bound to hear them and it's their duty to do as their fans say. However, Sapna went wrong from the beginning when she tried to breach someone's privacy even after being told no directly. Instead, she took this on her ego and committed a violation against Prithvi Shaw.
2. The selfie business of influencers
Influencers are so obsessed with taking selfies and growing their Instagram followers that they cannot digest the fact that people around them may not be comfortable with their idea of claim to fame.
3. Why were they casing?
Even if Sapna and her friend were right, why didn't they go directly to the police station? Instead, they started chasing the car and even broke its window glasses, which is a criminal offense.
4. Call recording
Another Twitter video has surfaced that shows Sapna Gill's friend, Shobit, allegedly admitting to breaking Prithvi Shaw's car because he refused to stop. He also purportedly claimed that they could bribe the police. While the authenticity of the recording is yet to be verified, if it is accurate, the police must take strict action against them. It is concerning to see individuals taking the law into their own hands and resorting to criminal acts, especially if they are trying to avoid punishment by bribing the authorities.
Latest Update
The Oshiwara Police arrested social media influencer Sapna Gill on Thursday and booked seven others for allegedly damaging Shaw's car and threatening to implicate him in a fake case. The police recorded Yadav's statement again on Tuesday, in which he stated that the accused had threatened to kill him.
After Yadav's statement, the police added Section 387 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) to the First Information Report (FIR). Section 387 pertains to putting a person in fear of death or grievous hurt to commit extortion.
The Oshiwara Police registered a case under several sections of the IPC, including unlawful assembly, rioting, extortion, and criminal intimidation, based on the complaint filed by Yadav.
A local court in Mumbai has sent Sapna Gill to police custody until February 20 in connection with the incident. The Oshiwara Police has detained two more people in the case, and they are currently being questioned.
The attack on Shaw's car and the subsequent arrest of those involved have caused a stir on social media, with many people expressing their outrage and demanding justice for the cricketer. The police investigation is ongoing, and more details are likely to emerge as the case progresses.
Conclusion
While it's understandable that fans might feel disappointed when their favorite celebrities refuse their requests, resorting to violence is never the solution. We must remember that violence only leads to more violence and never resolves the underlying issues. It's important to respect the privacy and personal space of others, even if they are in the public eye. This incident should serve as a wake-up call for all of us to treat everyone even celebrities with kindness and respect and to always think twice before acting out of ego or anger.
