SC to hear pleas of 'Tandav' Director, others seeking quashing of FIRs

Supreme Court is scheduled to hear on Wednesday a batch of pleas seeking quashing of criminal complaints lodged in various states against Ali Abbas Zafar, Director of web series 'Tandav', and ors for allegedly hurting religious sentiments of Hindus.

Besides Zafar, Amazon Prime India he Aparna Purohit, producer Himanshu Mehra, show's writer Gaurav Solanki and actor Mohammed Zeeshan Ayyub have filed three separate petitions against registration of FIRs in states like Uttar Presh, Mhya Presh, Karnataka and Maharashtra.

A bench comprising justices Ashok Bhushan, R Subhash Reddy and M R Shah would hear petitions against FIRs.

Earlier, Bombay High Court h granted a transit pre-arrest bail to Zafar, Purohit, Mehra and Solanki against whom a case was registered in Luckw for allegedly hurting religious sentiments through web series.

four have been booked in Luckw under sections 153 A (promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, race and so on), 295 (injuring or defiling place of worship with intent to insult religion of any class), 501 (1)(B) (public mischief with intent to cause fear or alarm) of IPC and under relevant sections of Information Techlogy Act.

At least three FIRs have been lodged against makers and artistes of "Tandav" in Uttar Presh - at Luckw, Greater ida and Shahjahanpur - for alleged inappropriate depiction of UP Police personnel, deities, and verse portrayal of a character playing role of prime minister in show.

Similar FIRs have been lodged against people associated with making and airing of web series in states like MP, Maharashtra and Karnataka.

pleas have me various state governments and police officers as parties.

"Tandav", a nine-episode political thriller starring Bollywood A-listers Saif Ali Khan, Dimple Kapia and Mohd Zeeshan Ayyub, started streaming recently.