Chennai: Music director accused of assaulting woman

CHENNAI: A 60-year-old art curator on Friday alleged that a film music director assaulted her in her Palavakkam house. The music director, James Vasanthan, also lodged a complaint against her and the Neelankarai police registered both complaints.
In her complaint, Radha Venu Prasad said she had just returned from a shop whe she found James Vasanthan in her house trying to attack her husband Venu Prasad, advisor of UK-based Warwick University in India.
"I screamed and ran towards Vasanthan. He abused me and my husband and hit me on the cheek. I swooned. Neighbours took me to a private hospital and then we went to the Neelankarai police station to lodge a complaint. We later came to know that Vasanthan lodged a complaint against us," Radha told TOI.
Vasanthan alleged in his complaint that Radha had taken picture of his under-construction house illegally. Radha denied the charge. She said, "I suffer from Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary disease and also have dust allergy and requested Vasanthan a few times to put up a shield. I even sent a legal notice through my counsel. He didn't respond."
According to Radha, her husband Venu Prasad and Roshan Seth, who had played the role of Nehru in Gandhi, were jointly awarded the Member of British Empire (MBE) two years ago for promoting British education in India.
When contacted, James Vasanthan said, "The complainant, Radha, moved the CMDA through some powerful persons and I was issued a stop-construction notice. On Friday, I was returning home for lunch when I saw the woman and two others inside my building taking pictures. I went to her house and asked how she could trespass into my site. I didn't assault her."