TV Actor Manoj Kumar Shoots at Partner's Husband

Hyderabad: In what could be a near-violent film-style showdown, television actor M. Manoj Kumar fired with an air gun at his partner’s husband Sidhartha Das, who had come calling to their rendezvous, at a resort in Shamirpet on Saturday.

Manoj, his partner (Sidhartha’s wife) along with her two children were staying in the resort. When Das came to see their children, an argument broke out between the estranged husband and wife, during which Manoj, who had taken the air gun to the resort, fired at Das. Das, however, escaped unhurt and approached the police.

Police said, Das, 49,  and his wife, 45,  have a son, 17, and a daughter 13. Due to disputes, they were staying separately for the past three years and have approached the court for divorce.

Das works for a private company in Visakhapatnam, while his wife, techie, has been staying with Manoj, 35, along with her children in a villa at the Celebrity resort.

Even as the divorce case is pending in the court, Das’s wife secured an order from the court restraining him from visiting her. However, Das came to the resort on Saturday morning ostensibly to meet his children. An argument broke out between the couple, following which Manoj fired at Das.

In an interesting twist, it is learnt that Manoj used to harass the children. Unable to bear the torture, the son approached the Child Welfare Committee of Telangana state. Acting on the complaint, the committee inquired into the allegations and took the child into their custody, while the girl remained with her mother.

DCP Medchal G. Sundeep said that prima facie it was found that disputes between the husband and wife and Saturday’s visit by Das had led to the flare-up.

Manoj has been detained and the weapon and pellets were also seized.

“Manoj is being produced before the court for judicial remand,” he said.

Later, Manoj reportedly told police that he thought some unknown person had come to attack them and, in self-defence, he had fired at the person. Further investigation is in process, police said.