HC gives temporary relief to Ekta Kapoor in case over web series

PTI, Aug 22, 2020, 7:34 PM IST

Indore: The Madhya Pradesh High Court has asked the police not to take any coercive action against TV producer Ekta Kapoor over a case filed against her for alleged objectionable content in the web series “XXX season 2.”

Justice Shailendra Shukla of the high court’s Indore bench passed the order on Thursday in response to Kapoor’s petition seeking quashing of an FIR filed at Annapurna police station here.

“There shall be no coercive action against the applicant till the next date of hearing (August 26),” the court said.

It also ordered the police and complainant’s lawyers to present the disputed content from the web series in a compact disc, said Kapoor’s lawyer Anand Soni on Saturday.

A police officer said the First Information Report was registered on the basis of a complaint lodged by Valmik Sakaragaye and Neeraj Yagnik, both residents of Indore, under IPC sections 294 (obscenity), 298 (hurting religious feelings), and also relevant provisions of the Information Technology Act and the State Emblem of India (Prohibition of Improper Use) Act.

The complainant alleged that the web series, aired on Kapoor’s OTT platform ALTBalaji, spreads obscenity and hurts religious feelings.

A scene in the series portrayed the Indian Army’s uniform in a highly objectionable manner and disrespected national emblems, the complaint said.