HC Disposes of Plea Against FIR on Movie Maker

Hyderabad: The Telangana High Court disposed of a petition challenging the FIR filed by the Hyderabad police against some persons who screened the documentary ‘Ram ke Naam (In the name of Lord Rama)’ in January at a restaurant in Defence Colony, Neredmet.

Justice K. Sujana heard the quash petition filed by ‘Hyderabad Cinephiles’ members Anand Singh, Sreeja and one Parag Verma who challenged the FIR filed by the Neredmet police for ‘public nuisance’ and ‘malicious act intending to outrage religious feelings.’

The documentary, made by well-known film-maker Anand Partwardhan, received CBFC certification in 1992 and has received national and international awards.

While the screening was about to start, one P. Ruthvik and his associates interrupted the proceedings stating that the film was against the Vishwa Hindu Parishad and hurt Hindu sentiments.

The petitioner stated that the Bombay High Court had held that “The filmmaker has made a serious attempt to examine the Babri Masjid dispute from a secularist angle with the basic object to convey a message of communal harmony and amity.”

The petitioners stated that instead of filing a case against those who threatened the organisers and interrupted the screening, the police had registered a case against the organisers under pressure. They said Hyderabad Cinephiles organises film screenings to lay the foundation for a people’s cine movement.

The petitioners accordingly sought quashing of the criminal case filed against them for screening a certified movie. However, the office of the public prosecutor informed the court that a chargesheet had been filed and has to be challenged.

Senior counsel L. Ravichander representing on-record counsel S. Goutham, sought the court’s permission for taking necessary steps to challenge the chargesheet. The court conceded for the same and disposed of the quash petition as infructuous..