Saif Ali Khan to lose Padma award?

Bollywood actor Saif Ali Khan may lose his Padma award as the government is examining a demand for stripping India’s fourth highest civilian award from him after Mumbai court framing charges against him for alleged fight in a restaurant.

RTI activist, S C Agrawal, had filed a complaint with the Home Ministry asking for taking away Padma award from Saif following court’s order.

Saif was conferred with the Padma Shri in 2010 for his contribution in the field of art.

In the complaint which Agrawal wrote, “It refers to charges framed against Saif Ali Khan by a Mumbai-court for scuffle in a Mumbai-restaurant. Film-actor is already facing several other criminal cases against him. An RTI response revealed that Saif Ali Khan involved in many criminal cases was recommended for Padma awards by ‘Awards Committee’ in its meeting without mentioning name of member of Awards Committee having recommended his name. Significantly senior government-officers and eminent personalities from different fields are members of the Awards Committee, and all the recommended names are to be cleared by several intelligence-agencies before being announced for Padma awards on Republic-Day eve,” he had written.

“Name of member of Awards Committee having recommended name of Saif Ali Khan should be made public. Honouring controversial ones with Padma awards give bad name to the prestigious civilian honour. Probe should also be ordered on functioning of intelligence-authorities which clear controversial names without any proper investigation even though media-reports prominently and regularly appear about awardees involved in criminal cases. Union Home Ministry should take back Padma award not only from Saif Ali Khan but also from other such controversial persons which surprisingly also included a wilful bank-defaulter!” he demanded.

Saif Ali Khan and his friends Shakeel Ladak and Bilal Amrohi were charged under IPC Section 325 (assault) and 34 (common intention) for hitting a South Africa-based businessman and his father-in-law at restaurant in February 2012.

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