Breaking: Actress Priya Prakash Varrier moves Supreme Court seeking quashing of criminal complaints

Actress Priya Prakash Varrier, as well as the producer and the director of the Malayalam film Oru Adaar Love, have approached the Supreme Court seeking an order quashing the criminal complaints made against them in the states of Telangana and Maharashtra..Following the release of promotional video for the film’s Manikya Malaraya Poovi song on YouTube, the petitioners have been subject to much criticism from some quarters of the Muslim community. An FIR was registered in a Hyderabad police station by a person claiming that the song had hurt his religious sentiments. Further, a number of criminal complaints were filed by persons and organisations in Mumbai, who demanded that the video be taken down..The petition claims that the song has been misunderstood by people residing outside Kerala, as it is being translated and taken out of context, leading to the registration of multiple criminal cases against the petitioners. Moreover, the fact that no such complaint was filed in Kerala goes to show that the criminal complaints filed against them lack sound legal basis..“Just because the song became Viral, viewers started to use Google and/or online translations tools to translate the lyrics which has led to distortion of the lyrics and meaning of the song in other states where Malayalam is not the language.” .It is also claimed that the song, a traditional Muslim song from the Malabar region of Kerala, praises the love between the Prophet Mohammed and his first wife Beevi Khadeeja..“The claims that it hurts the religious sentiments of the Muslim Community are without any basis. What is hard to fathom is that a song which has been in existence for the past 40 years, which was written, sung and cherished by the Muslim Community in Kerala is now being treated as an insult to the Prophet and his wife. .It is submitted that a song, which has existed for more than 40 years and which has been cherished by more than 1 Crore Muslim population of Kerala cannot suddenly offend the religious sentiment of the Muslim Community.”.The petitioners have also claimed that the initiation of criminal proceedings has adversely affected their right to life, liberty and freedom of expression under Articles 19(1)(a), 19(1)(g) and 21 of the Constitution..Reference has been made to a recent order, where the Supreme Court dismissed a petition seeking a ban on the release of An Insignificant Man, a documentary on Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal..The petition, drawn by advocate Haris Beeran and filed through advocate Pallavi Pratap, also states that Varrier, an 18-year-old college student, is being dragged into a criminal case for merely acting in a movie..“…there is a threat to the life of a young girl, the Petitioner No.1 herein and her family as fatwas have been alleged to have been issued against her and her family.”.Thus, it has been prayed that the Supreme Court pass an order quashing the FIR filed in Hyderabad, as well as the complaints filed against the petitioners in Maharashtra. A direction to state governments not to entertain any further complaints on the song has also been prayed for. In the interim, a stay on the criminal proceedings has been prayed for..Update February 20, 2018: The matter was mentioned at 10.30 am today by advocate Haris Beeran before the Bench of Chief Justice Dipak Misra for early listing. Misra J. agreed to list the case tomorrow..Read the petition:.Image courtesy: YouTube