Bollywood Star Fined for "Dogged" Defiance

Calcutta High Court, on Thursday, fined filmstar Swastika Mukherjee Rs 8,500 for unleashing her pet dog on a high court employee when he went to her house to serve a summons.

Not only that, Justice Maharaj Sinha rejected her application seeking to take defence in a damage suit pending before the court against her. The court observed that the application was not made truthfully. Mukherjee was directed to pay the fine by November 11.

Swastika was married in 1998 to Pramit Sen, younger son of Rabindrasangeet exponent, the late Sagar Sen. Anwesa, the couple's daughter, was born in 2000. In June that year, Swastika left her in-laws' house and lodged a complaint against her husband and his elder brothers - Pritam and Priyam - with Jadavpur police under Section 498A IPC.

The Sen brothers were discharged of allegations of physical and mental torture against Swastika by an Alipore court in 2005.