Bombay High Court Refuses Stay on Release of The Railway Men

In a recent development, the Bombay High Court, through a vacation bench headed by single judge Justice **Arif Doctor**, has declined to stay the release of the Hindi web series "The Railway Men - The Untold Story of Bhopal 1984," scheduled for November 18, 2023. The court upheld the Mumbai city civil court's previous decisions rejecting a stay on the series.

Two former employees of Union Carbide India Limited (UCIL), convicted in connection with the Bhopal gas leak incident of 1984, had filed appeals against the Mumbai court's rulings. They sought a stay, claiming that the web series could prejudice them in any legal proceedings challenging their conviction.

The High Court rejected this argument, emphasizing that the web series's release was announced by the producers, Yash Raj Films, as early as November 25, 2022. It further pointed out that the series would include a disclaimer labeling it a "work of fiction" inspired by real events.

In its order dated November 15, the Court stated, "_The Appellants have not satisfied the very high threshold test required to stay the release of the said web series_." The appellants had also requested a pre-screening, but the judge dismissed this, highlighting that the web series didn't claim to present true facts and that any grievances could be addressed through legal remedies post-release.

Advocates from _Gravitas Legal_ represented the appellants, while advocates from _TMT Law Practice_ appeared for YRF Pvt Ltd.