This article has been written by Ms. Indrakshi Chaku, an upcoming law student
Introduction
From protecting employees to protecting brand reputation, event locations and content, entertainment industry is facing an ever evolving and complex threat landscape. Although there are laws for protecting all the material aspects of the entertainment industry, there are no specific laws to ensure the security of people related to entertainment industry. Various laws like employment law, labor laws, intellectual property laws etc. govern the security of employees of the entertainment industry, they act more as curative remedies rather than preventative remedies. This raises concerns regarding the security of people involved in the entertainment industry. This article explores the extent and validity of such questions and ultimately offers some preventative measures to reduce the ambiguity surrounding security in the entertainment industry.
Present security criteria
India deploys a method of security categorization to protect individuals against anti-social elements. These categories essentially determine the level of security that is deemed necessary for protecting an individual. The security is strictly provided on the bases of the perceived severity of the threat. The government is obligated to provide security if there is any perception that VIPs are in danger. A person who perceives a threat submits an application to the police station closest to their house. The intelligence agencies are then contacted to determine whether the subject is threatened. Upon confirmation of the threat, a committee made up of the Home Secretary, Director General, and State Chief Secretary determines which level of security should be assigned to the subject. Following that, the Union Home Ministry receives the person’s information for formal approval. Following are the security categories:
- X level security: This is the lowest security level offered to Indian citizens and comprises of two armed civil police officers. The citizens don’t necessarily have to be dignitaries or celebrities.
- Y level security: comprises an 11-person entourage. This group includes at least 1 to 2 NSG commandos along with civil police of a particular state. This depends on the location an individual requires this level of security. It also comprises of two PSOs. Quite a few politicians and celebrities in the past have been assigned this level of security. One of the most recent ones is director Vivek Agnihotri and actress Kangana Ranaut
- Z level security: it comprises an entourage of 22 personnel protecting VIPS and celebs. This 22-member crew includes at least 4 to 5 National Security Guards (NSGs). In addition, it also has civil police personnel. It has been assigned to members of the Indo-Tibetan Police, CRPF and even the Delhi Police. In addition to the entourage, an escort car is also available for enhanced security. Celebrities such as Baba Ramdev and actor Aamir Khan have received Z-level security in the past.
- Z Plus level security: it includes a 55-person entourage, of which, usually, 10 personnel are NSG commandos, while the rest may be the civil police. All commandos are fully trained in unarmed combat and martial arts. Other than the Prime Minister, such security detail has been offered to top-wrung BJP ministers, such as Amit Shah and Yogi Adityanath.
This system of providing security has received considerable criticism due to it increasing the taxpayer’s burden. Especially when it comes to providing security to people in the entertainment industry. For instance, Amit Shah’s decision to extend a Y category security to actress Kangana Ranaut has been subjected to significant backlash. The actress’s ability to reimburse the state for such security was the main point that attracted this backlash. However, in some instances, providing such security becomes a necessity. Recently Vivek Agnihotri the director of Kashmir files was granted Y category security with CRPF by the ministry of home affairs. The choice was made in response to criticism of the movie “from some quarters and concerns that some communities may be hurt” by the way the filmmaker presented the events.
Need for security in the entertainment industry
The people in entertainment industry are extremely vulnerable to both external and internal threats. The recent untimely deaths of celebrities through alleged suicide embodies this vulnerability. The element of suicide in such cases continues to be anticipated rather than substantive. For instance, the infamous case of Sushant Singh Rajput’s death left many questioning about the real reason behind his death. Although it was ruled out as a case of suicide, the claims of mortuary staff post mortem probed a murder enquiry. Corelations were even found between the case and substance abuse in the entertainment industry. The people in entertainment industry have also been a target for underworld over the years. The murder of music baron Gulshan Kumar in 1997 is one of the spine-chilling accounts of the same. Mumbai crime branch cops revealed that Kumar had been receiving threats from underworld don Dawood Ibrahim’s former aide, Abu Salem, demanding ₹ 10 crore. On refusal, he was shot dead. The killer, despite being convicted fled India to seek asylum in Bangladesh in 2009. Although later caught, the process delayed justice and caused much distress amongst the victim’s loved ones. Another example that we can look at includes recent assassination of a prominent singer-Politian Sidhu Moose Wala. His assassination is a direct result of inter gang rivalry. On 29 May 2022 around 4:30 P.M. Moose Wala left his house along with his neighbour Gurwinder Singh and cousin, Gurpreet Singh for his aunt’s house in Barnala. Two cars intercepted his vehicle at Jawaharke and blocked it. There were around 30 shots fired during the incident injuring the other two sitting with him. It was also seen that Sidhu in retaliation fired two rounds from his pistol but obviously it was of no use considering the automatic assault rifles that were used against him. He was taken to a nearby hospital where he was declared dead by the doctors.
Conclusion
Celebrities are only known for the things they do. Actors, musicians, singers, etc. They become famous because other people are curious about them after learning about them from their craft or from participating in activities related to them. Therefore, A separate set of laws should be made for the security of these people and certain criteria set for providing them with the security. It could be anything from the success of their movies and songs or the contents of it whether it hurts the sentiments of a particular community or is there someone who’d be affected negatively by their success and impose a threat to their lives. I think this all can be taken into consideration by the intelligence bureau and security should be provided to people from the entertainment industry so that we don’t lose the nation’s talents.
Reference
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