The Punjab and Haryana High Court on Friday declined to entertain a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) petition seeking the restoration of the Punjabi singer-actor Diljit Dosanjh-starrer film Satluj on the Zee5 OTT platform..A Division Bench of Acting Chief Justice Ashwani Kumar Mishra and Justice Rohit Kapoor said the PIL appeared to be a proxy litigation with the producers themselves not coming forward with a challenge. "Let the aggrieved person come forward," the Bench said.Following the Court's observation, the senior counsel representing the petitioner chose to withdraw the PIL. She said the director himself may approach the Court with a separate petition..The film, based on the life and death of human rights activist Jaswant Singh, Khalra was recently taken down from the OTT platform just two days after its release. Earlier, the film had remained stalled for three years after the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) refused to approve it for theatrical release without alterations.Since its online release and subsequent removal from Zee5, the film has remained in the headlines. Today, the Court was dealing with the plea moved by a law student and Zee5 subscriber, Sharwan Singh for the restoration of the movie, arguing that the fundamental right to freedom of speech and expression was being curtailed due to the movie's removal from the OTT platform."The abrupt removal of the film, without disclosure of any statutory order, judicial direction or lawful authority, has not only curtailed the fundamental right of the public to receive information and artistic expression under Article 19(1)(a) of the Constitution of India but has also deprived thousands of bona fide subscribers of access to content for which they had already paid consideration," the plea said..PIL in Punjab and Haryana High Court to restore Diljit Dosanjh-starrer Satluj on Zee5.However, Senior Advocate Dheeraj Jain, representing Union of India, argued that the petition was not maintainable. He added that the producers or the OTT platform had themselves not challenged the ban.Senior Advocate Gursharan Kaur Mann, representing the petitioner, said he has a right to watch the biopic of a man who stood against injustice. After the Court expressed disinclination against the PIL, the counsel said that they were in touch with the movie director and may file a petition on his behalf too.While permitting the withdrawal of the PIL, the Court said:"We are not averse to judicial review of their action...".Advocates Hakam Singh, Ajayvir Singh Randhawa, Shruti and Anmol Jeevan Singh Gill also represented the petitioner.
