Akshay Kumar’s Chopper Ride To Nashik Amid Lockdown Sparks Controversy; Probe Ordered By Maharashtra Minister!

Akshay Kumar's flight to Nashik has thrown up other questions like the urgency of his medical treatment, especially since even top VVIPs have been avoiding air travel in the current scenario.

Bollywood superstar Akshay Kumar recent Nashik visit in a chopper for medical treatment & a stay in resort has apparently sparked off a social media controversy. It was a couple of days ago (July 2) when a chopper carrying Akshay landed at a private helipad in Sapkal Knowledge Hub at Anjaneri-Wadholi on the outskirts of the city, where he was received by several people, and later he reportedly stayed at a local resort. Meanwhile, a probe has been ordered by the Maharashtra government minister following the controversy, seeking into the permission for the actor’s air travel and stay at a resort during ongoing lockdown. Maharashtra minister Chhagan Bhujbal said on Saturday that he will order inquiry into the special permission which the actor reportedly obtained for the air travel and stay at a resort in Nashik during the visit earlier this week. While the actor's spokespersons did not offer any comment immediately, sources said he flew to Nashik with a special permission to see a doctor. "I read about his visit to Nashik in newspapers today. I have no idea when he came and left. I will have to check," Food and Civil Supplies Minister Bhujbal, who is also the "guardian minister'' of the district, told reporters in Nashik. "I will have to check, where he lived etc. I have received complaints about how he could be allowed to stay in a resort (amid coronavirus outbreak). We will ask the police to look into it. I have no idea who gave him the permission, why it was given. Officials will be questioned if something wrong has happened," the senior NCP leader added. Sources close to the actor said that he had flown to Nashik in a helicopter with special permission "to see a doctor". The local media fired a volley of questions at Bhujbal, including how the actor was permitted to fly in a chopper from Mumbai to Nashik, given the serious Covid-19 situation raging in Nashik, the continuing lockdown with partial relaxations, the heavy rains and other aspects. There were other questions related to alleged felicitation accorded by the Nashik Police chief and providing a police escort to the actor although the area fell within the jurisdiction of the Nashik Rural Police. To all this, Bhujbal made it clear that he would not comment without getting full information from the Collector. Dismissing speculation in some quarters, local officials said that the police escort was intended for the Nashik police chief, which was reportedly misconstrued, but no probe has been ordered into the matter. Akshay's flight to Nashik has thrown up other questions like the urgency of his medical treatment, especially since even top VVIPs have been avoiding air travel in the current scenario. Meanwhile, Akshay Kumar is yet to react on the whole controversy. With agency inputs.