New York: Critically acclaimed Indian documentary maker Rakesh Sharma, who was allegedly detained and harassed while filming in midtown Manhattan in May 2005, has sued New York city claiming that his constitutional rights were violated.
Sharma was making a film about ordinary people, including taxi drivers, with a handheld camera from the sidewalks of the city when he was detained by the New York police.
He was later frisked and interrogated for hours before being released. He was also told that he needed a permit for shooting in the city.
Later, he returned to New York in November and applied for permit. The Mayor's Office of Film, Theater and Broadcasting (MOFTB) denied him the permit without offering any explanation.
"It's sad when the police think they can detain and mistreat someone simply for making a film on a public street in New York City," Sharma was quoted by PTI as saying.
"I cooperated with them and answered all their questions, but they treated me like a criminal. It was wrong, and I was scared and humiliated," he added.
The New York Civil Liberties Union (NYCLU), which filed the suit on behalf of Sharma, in conjunction with New York City Law School for Civil Rights Clinic, says that there are no written permit standards but the MOFTB requires applicants to have $1 million liability.
The suit also seeks striking down of the film-permit system as "constitutional." Sharma has won several awards for his 2002 documentary Final Solution depicting the Gujarat riots.
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