FIR against Bhansali in Black case

The police lodged an FIR on Saturday against film-maker Sanjay Leela Bhansali and four other employees of Applause Bhansali Films on a complaint filed by an antique furniture dealer, whose furniture was destroyed during a fire on the sets of the film Black in February, 2004.

On June 8, a local court had directed the police to file the FIR against Bhansali and others and submit a report within two months. The offence is non-bailable and carries a maximum punishment of imprisonment up to seven years.

However, Bhansali and the others will not be arrested immediately. Additional Commissioner of Police Tukaram Chavan said the police would investigate the case and submit a report to the court first. The four others named in the FIR are Gautami Bhatt, Anshuman Swami, Sushil Agarwal and Gopi Krishna Tulsian. Farida Hoosenally, an antique furniture dealer, whose furniture was destroyed in the fire, moved court after the police refused to lodge the complaint against Bhansali.