Agnivesh’s Padmaavat plea rejected

As per one of the disclaimers of the film, it’s a work of fiction and doesn’t show any intention on the producers or the director, Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s part, to propagate sati, the HC stated

The Delhi high court on Thursday rejected a plea seeking penal action against producers and director of Hindi film, Padmaavat for alleged glorification of the practice of sati.

A bench of Acting Chief Justice Gita Mittal and Justice C. Hari Shankar dismissed the plea saying the petitioner should have approached the Central Board of Film Certification ( CBFC) at an appropriate time.

The court said: “The film

stands released without any complaints and it is already in public domain. If the petitioner had any complaint with regard to the issue raised in his writ petition, he should have made the complaint before the CBFC at an appropriate time. We find no merit in the petition. The same is dismissed.”

A public interest litigation ( PIL) was filed by social activist Swami Agnivesh, who had sought deletion of the scenes that depict the practice of sati.

Sati is an obsolete funeral custom wherein a widow immolates herself on her husband’s pyre and the law prohibits it.

The court had earlier observed that, according to one of the disclaimers in the film, it is a work of fiction and therefore, it doesn’t show any intention on the producers or the film’s director, Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s part, to propagate sati.

The PIL sought directions to the Delhi police to lodge an FIR against Ajit Andhare, one of the producers, and Mr Bhansali.

Union government standing counsel Manish Mohan, who appeared for the Union information and broadcasting ministry and censor board, had opposed the plea, saying the film was certified for public viewing after considering all the aspects.