Provocative public opinion, derogatory portrayal of God persuaded State to lodge FIR against Tandav makers: UP Govt tells Allahabad High Court

The web series, Tandav, portrays 'God' in a very derogatory manner and the public opinion after watching the web series was so provocative which prompted the State to lodge FIR against its makers, the Uttar Pradesh government told Lucknow Bench of Allahabad High Court (Aparna Purohit v. State of UP). .On the above ground, Additional Advocate General Vinod Shahi, representing the government opposed the anticipatory bail plea of Aparna Purohit, Content Head at Amazon Prime (India), which is streaming the controversial show. ."Vinod Shahi, Additional Advocate General has submitted that the visual and wordings used by certain actors in the said web series contain certain scene portraying 'God' in a very derogatory manner for which the said FIR has been lodged. He further submits that the public opinion after watching the web series was so provocative which persuaded the State for lodging the said first information report," the High Court recorded in its order..Shahi sought time to file a detailed counter affidavit in this regard which was allowed by the single-judge Bench of Justice Alok Mathur..The Court, therefore, adjourned the matter for ten days while granting Purohit interim protection till February 22 when the case will be heard next. .Purohit has been charged under Sections 66, 66-F and 67 IT Act, 2008 (as amended) apart from Sections 153-A, 295, 505 (1) (b), 505 (2), 469 IPC. Purohit submitted before the court that “all the offences as per IPC as well as the offences under Section 66, 66-F and 67 of Information Technology Act carry a maximum sentence of three years”..Purhohit also submitted an affidavit containing details of ‘deleted scenes’ Importantly, she told the Court that a similar case (Criminal Misc. Anticipatory Bail Application under Section 438 Cr.P.C. No.2640 of 2021) is pending before the principle Bench of the High Court at Allahabad in which interim protection was granted to her on February 4..The Court after considering the rival submissions thought it fit to grant protection from coercive action to Purohit in view of the fact that the principle Bench had granted similar protection to her. .“Considering the rival submissions of the parties as well as nature of the allegations levelled and also considering the fact that similar matter had engaged the attention of this Court at Allahabad wherein by means of the order dated 4.2.2021 interim protection has been granted, it is provided that till the next date of listing no coercive action shall be taken against the applicant,” the Court ordered. .Senior Advocate Jaideep Narain Mathur, Senior AdvocateH.G.S. Parihar, and Ms. Meenakshi Parihar, appeared for applicant and Sri Vinod Shahi, learned Additional Advocate General on behalf of State..On February 04, the principle Bench of Allahabad had reserved its order in a similar FIR which was filed against the makers of Tandav web-series, While reserving its order in the plea, Justice Siddharth, directed the State authorities that “till the pronouncement of order no coercive action shall be taken against the applicant.”.[Read Order]