HC stays arrest of ‘Mirzapur’ makers Akhtar & Sidhwani
The Allahabad High Court gave a big relief to Farhan Akhtar and Ritesh Sidhwani, the makers of web series ‘Mirzapur’, as it stayed their arrest on an FIR filed against them for hurting religious sentiments and indecent portrayal of district Mirzapur in Eastern Uttar Pradesh.
A division bench comprising Justices Manoj Kumar Gupta and Subhash Chand was hearing the case on Friday on an application by Akhtar and Sidhwani to stay their arrest. The court, however, asked them to not leave the country till the pendency of the case and cooperate in investigation.
The 2-member bench also issued notices to the state government and the complainant to file their replies while fixing the next hearing
in the first week of March.
An FIR was filed against the producers of the web series in Kotwali Dehat in Mirzapur district under Sections 295A, 504 and Section 67 of the IT Act. The main charge against the accused was indecent and improper portrayal of district Mirzapur, which may hurt the religious, social and regional sentiments leading to enmity.
The complainant alleged in the FIR the web series impacted society to such an extent people known to him have started calling him “Kaleem Bhaiyya”. Supporting the complainant, the state counsel stated before the court the web series promotes illicit relationship and incites religious feelings, which may have adverse effects on society.
The counsel for Akhtar and Sidhwani, however, vehemently denied charges against the two, on the argument that “the story of the web series, Mirzapur, was fictional and as such no case under Sections 295A and 504 could be slapped.