Shruti Haasan Attacked by Stalker at Home

Here's a whole lot of information that wasn't mentioned before. The difference between the two stories is marked.

Shruti’s stalker was seeking job for his brother, says family

Actor says he should've approached her appropriately, but 'I take offence to someone trying to barge into my home'

The family of Ashok Shankar Trimukhe, 45, the spot boy who allegedly stalked Shruti Haasan, is shocked that the actress filed a police complaint and that he has been arrested. Trimukhe, they said, is the main earning member of the family of seven, and he was merely trying to approach Haasan in the hope that she would recommend his younger brother for a permanent job.

Haasan, however, defended her action, telling us that had Trimukhe approached her or her staff on the sets, they would have dealt with it appropriately, but that "as a single woman, having someone trying to barge into my home" is a different matter altogether.

At their Dharavi home on Sunday, Trimukhe's sister Shalini, 30, told us, "His arrest came as a shock. My brother learnt that Shruti's sister Akshara is embarking on a film career, and thought she would need a spot boy. He was hoping our brother would get a permanent job if Shruti puts in a word. But, the police came knocking on our door..."

Trimukhe and his brother Dhanraj, 25, have been working as spot boys for 25 and 10 years respectively. With income being rather irregular, Trimukhe wanted Dhanraj to get a permanent job with Akshara, which would enable him to earn substantially. But Trimukhe failed to convey this to Haasan on the sets, and after a few unsuccessful attempts allegedly attempted to barge into her Bandra home on November 19.

"My brother did not try barging in. He even made an entry in the visitors' dairy and asked the watchman to accompany him. He said when Haasan began shutting the door he tried to stop her by asking if she recognised him. But she slammed the door, hurting his hand," Shalini said.

Trimukhe supports his mother, brother, sisters and nephew. "My mother and I were victims of the 7/11 train blasts. She is 80, lost her hearing and is also paralytic. Our expenses are borne by Trimukhe as Dhanraj barely gets work. Trimukhe also supports my two sons since my husband deserted me," Shalini said.

When TOI contacted Haasan on Sunday, she said, "In all the time this man was on the sets he never approached me or my staff. Had he done, we would have dealt with the matter appropriately. But as a single woman living alone in Mumbai, I take serious offence to someone coming to my house and trying to bargain. I trust the police will know best how to deal with this."

Dinesh Chaturvedi, former general secretary of Federation of Western India Cine Employees, will be meeting Trimukhe on Monday. Chaturvedi said, "The police have taken a serious view only because a high profile actress is involved. He's a poor man who goes to various artistes including Dharmendra and Jackie Shroff looking for work. We will know the truth once we meet him and decide if we are to take up his case."