Kaizad: Fresh woes

Mumbai, Sept. 8: A chargesheet has been filed by the Government Railway Police against filmmaker Kaizad Gustad, accusing him of culpable homicide not amounting to murder for alleged involvement in the death of Nadia Khan, his assistant director.

Kaizad?s assistants Ashish Udeshi and Hadley D?Mello have also been charged with the same offence, while sub-inspector at Worli police station . Adavatkar, superintendent of Mahalaxmi railway station C.G. Ashokan and GRP constable Darshana Waiti have been accused of destroying evidence and holding back information, the chargesheet says.

The chargesheet was filed in a special railway court on August 30. The trial will be held in a sessions court. If found guilty of culpable homicide not amounting to murder, the convicted could get a maximum of 10 years? imprisonment.

Kaizad was initially booked by the GRP for causing death by negligence. ?But the charge was changed to culpable homicide not amounting to murder the same day,? said Sayaji Nangre, Kaizad?s lawyer.

He said Kaizad is yet to receive the chargesheet and the trial is not likely to begin soon.

The 27-year-old London-based Nadia, who was assisting Kaizad in his project Mumbai Central, was allegedly hit on May 25 by a speeding train while shooting on the tracks near Mahalaxmi station though Kaizad did not have permission.

Nadia was unaware of the approaching train and was thrown off a few feet. She died of the injury.

Kaizad and his assistants reportedly registered a false version of the incident with the police with the help of officials. According to the complaint at Worli police station, Nadia was said to have died in a road accident near the race course in Mahalaxmi.

Sub-inspector Adavatkar allegedly prepared the false panchnama (on-the-spot report), though the post-mortem report suggested that Nadia?s injuries were different from those sustained during road accidents.

Waiti has been charged for suppressing facts. The GRP constable was on duty at Mahalaxmi railway station and accompanied Kaizad and the crew to Nair Hospital. At the hospital, too, Kaizad claimed that Nadia was injured in a road accident. Waiti has also been charged with not reporting the matter to her superiors or taking any action against Kaizad.

Station superintendent Ashokan has also been charged with being aware of the incident and not reporting it to the police, the chargesheet says.