Mahesh Manjrekar, film producers get arrest shield from Bombay high court – Hindustan Times

MUMBAI: The Bombay high court on Tuesday restrained the Mumbai Police from taking any coercive steps against filmmaker Mahesh Manjrekar and producers of a Marathi film in connection with a first information report (FIR) registered over alleged obscene scenes involving children in his latest Marathi film, ‘Nay Varan Bhat Loncha, Kon Nay Koncha’.

The bench of justices Prasanna Varale and SP Tavade who briefly heard the two petitions filed by Manjrekar and the film producers, Narendra Hirawat and Shreyansh Hirawat, observed that they were ready to cooperate with the police and have made out a case for grant of interim relief till the next hearing.

“We direct the police to not take any coercive action or steps against the petitioners for three weeks,” the bench said, according to news agency PTI.

The court, which heard the police assure the bench that they will give 72 hours notice to the three, said the police will follow procedures in consonance with the Supreme Court guidelines.

In two petitions, Mahesh Manjrekar and the producers have asked the high court to quash the FIR registered against them by Mahim police following an order of a special court in February to look into a complaint filed by Seema Deshpande of non-profit Bharatiya Stree Shakti.

Deshpande complained that the trailer of the film “Nay Varan Bhat Loncha Kon Nay Koncha” released in January had obscene scenes involving minors. The case was registered at the Mahim Police Station, Mumbai on orders of a local court under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act and the Information Technology Act.

Manjrekar’s petition insisted that the special court ordered the FIR without discussing the scenes or the merits of the case.

Arguing for Manjrekar, senior advocate Shirish Gupte submitted that the objectionable scenes were not part of the film and the trailer had been taken down from YouTube after the complaint was submitted. He also argued that the film has been certified by the relevant authorities but since the registration of the FIR, the film was also been withdrawn.

Senior advocate Aaabad Ponda appearing for the Hirawats said they apprehended arrest and sought interim protection from coercive steps and directions to the police to follow proper procedures.

Advocate Ashish Chavan appearing for the NGO, however, opposed the request, insisting that the trailer was offensive and should have been certified before being released as well.