Popular Sandalwood star Dhruva Sarja, nephew of multilingual actor Arjun Sarja, is in trouble. An FIR has been registered against Dhruva in Bengaluru for violating a High Court order and installing massive cut-outs of himself to celebrate his birthday.
On Monday, the Assistant Revenue Officer Taranath of the Banashankari sub division filed a complaint with the Banashankari Police Station against the actor for flouting the rules and installing the 20- to 25-foot cut-outs of himself in ward number 167 (Yediyur) and on the footpath located on KR Road.
“His birthday was on October 6 and a few days prior to that, 20-25 ft tall flex banners wishing him a happy birthday were installed. On KR Road, it was blocking the path for pedestrians. Also, according to the High Court order dated August 12, installing flex banners without the BBMP’s permission is illegal. The flexes had trespassed on water supply line,” Taranath’s complaint states.
The cut-outs have been removed and an FIR has been registered under the Karnataka Open Place (Prevention of Disfigurement) Act 1981 and Section 188 (trespass on water supply premises) of the Karnataka Municipal Corporation Act 1976.
Dhruva Sarja is a Sandalwood actor who made his acting debut in the 2012 with the film Addhuri. He is the brother of actor Chiranjeevi Sarja and nephew of actor and director Arjun Sarja.
In August this year, the Karnataka High Court had ordered the BBMP to clear all illegal hoardings in the city. The High Court had also take BBMP officials to task and had ordered them to file cases against violators of the rules.
On August 29, the BBMP passed new advertising by-laws, which state that no commercial hoardings would be allowed anywhere in the territorial jurisdiction of BBMP. Special areas developed by government and BBMP may be exempt, such as pedestrian-only shopping streets or high-value landmark centres, where commercial hoardings are deemed to enhance the experience of the public space.
However, such exemptions would have to be evaluated, approved and regulated by a review committee. The by-law also states that any sign placed on public property or within a public right-of-way or public easement without authorisation or without a required sign permit may be removed without notice.