I have been asked to say sorry and I am saying it: Govinda on slapgate

Mumbai: Bollywood star Govinda today apologised for slapping a fan seven years ago, hours after the Supreme Court reminded him about its advise in the case where the judges had watched the video clip of the incident on a mobile phone.

Govinda's lawyer earlier in the day informed the Supreme Court that the actor was ready to offer an unconditional apology and pay a compensation of Rs five lakh to the fan.

"I am sorry...I have been asked to say sorry and I am saying it. I have done everything what I have been asked by the judiciary to do. I hold no bitterness against the fan and had done everything to the satisfaction of the judiciary and the fan," Govinda said at a press conference in Mumbai.

Govinda said he has met the victim. "He(the victim) wanted me to give him respect, an unconditional apology and compensation for all the monetary loss he has suffered all these years. I have done all this in accordance with the Supreme Court's decision. I have already met him and will meet him again," the actor said.

The submission by Govinda's lawyer on unconditional apology and compensation amount was made in the apex court before a bench of Justices V Gopala Gowda and Uday Umesh Lalit after the counsel appearing for the alleged victim said that his client was not approached by the actor directly.

Advocate Jatin Zaveri appearing for complainant Santosh Bateshwar Ray, alleged that Govinda did not apologise personally and tried to mediate through his lawyer. When the bench sought Govinda's response on this, his lawyer asked the court to grant two weeks time to which it agreed.

"What did we tell you on the last hearing. We had asked you to meet him and sort it out. Whatever you want to offer, tell him personally and don't give it to us," the bench said.

The apex court had in November last year advised the actor to apologise to the complainant. The actor, however, refused to give details about the compensation. He said, "I can't disclose it. I have been asked not to disclose."

A bench of the apex court had watched the video clip of the incident on a mobile phone and had suggested that the actor should apologise to Ray, saying that a film star should not indulge in fighting in a public place. Ray had appealed against the Bombay High Court's decision quashing his complaint against Govinda, saying there was no material against the actor to show criminal intimidation.

The High Court, in 2013, had quashed Ray's private complaint lodged against Govinda before a metropolitan court in Mumbai. Ray had on February 2, 2009, filed the complaint under sections 323 (Punishment for voluntarily causing hurt), 504 (Intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of peace) and 506 (1) (Criminal intimidation) of the IPC.

The complaint was filed after the actor allegedly slapped Ray, a visitor to his film sets, on January 16, 2008. Govinda had approached the High Court seeking quashing of the proceedings initiated against him by the metropolitan magistrate's court.