The Bombay High Court, on Friday, refused to grant interim protection from arrest to filmmaker Mahesh Manjrekar in the case relating to his Marathi movie Nay Varan Bhat Loncha Kon Nay Koncha allegedly featuring obscene scenes involving children.
An FIR was lodged against Manjrekar and the producers of the film, on Wednesday, based on a complaint by one Seema Deshpande of Bharatiya Stree Shakti organisation. The FIR has been registered under IPC sections 292 (distribution of obscene content), 34 (common intention), section 14 of POCSO (Protection of Child From Sexual Offense) Act, and sections 67, 67B of the IT Act.
Following this, the filmmaker had approached the Bombay HC seeking for the case to be quashed. He also sought temporary protection from arrest. However, the court denied him interim relief and adjourned the hearing to Monday, Deshpande’s lawyer, advocate Prakash Salsingikar, told Silverscreen India.
Explaining what happened in the court, Salsingikar said that the judge had asked for the FIR copy in order to pass judgment on the quashing of the case and providing interim relief to Manjrekar. After reading the copy of the FIR, the judge had said that protection from arrest could not be granted to the filmmaker.
However, Manjrekar’s counsel had insisted that the court has often considered appeals of criminals and granted them interim relief, so the same should be granted to him as well. Manjrekar further told the court that he is an artist and what has been shown in the film is a form of his artistic expression.
But, after hearing arguments from both sides, the bench said, “We cannot give a blanket protection.”
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No arrests have been made thus far, but the investigation is underway in the case.
Previously, a separate complaint over the same film was filed before the Bandra Metropolitan Magistrate Court by the Kshatriya Maratha Seva Sanstha. Citing that the film portrays women and children in an objectionable manner, the complainants sought action against Manjrekar and the producers under IPC sections 292 (distribution of obscene content), 295 (punishment for obscene acts or words in public), and 34 (common intention), and the Indecent Representation of the Women Prohibition Act.