The Supreme Court today stayed all criminal proceedings initiated against actress Priya Prakash Varrier in relation to the song Manikya Malarayi Poovi..The Bench of Chief Justice Dipak Misra and Justices AM Khanwilkar and DY Chandrachud heard Varrier’s counsel Haris Beeran (pictured left) before ordering a stay on criminal proceedings..The Court also stayed similar proceedings against the Director and the Producer of the movie Oru Adaar Love, in which the song features..When the matter came up for hearing today, the Bench asked Haris Beeran why they have not approached the High Court..“There are multiple proceedings in different High Courts”, replied Beeran..The Court then proceeded to issue notice while ordering that,.“After hearing learned counsel for the petitioners for some time, we are inclined to direct that any criminal action initiated against the petitioners in the respondent States or in any other State solely on the basis of the promotional video of the song “Manikya Malaraya Poovi” in the movie titled “Oru Addar Love”, shall remain stayed and no further criminal action shall be initiated against the petitioners either by way of F.I.R. or private complaint on the basis of their participation in the song in the aforesaid movie..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..This prompted Priya Prakash Varrier and others to file a petition in the Supreme Court. The plea 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..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. The petition states,.“…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.”.Therefore, it was 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 had also been sought..Read the order below.
The Supreme Court today stayed all criminal proceedings initiated against actress Priya Prakash Varrier in relation to the song Manikya Malarayi Poovi..The Bench of Chief Justice Dipak Misra and Justices AM Khanwilkar and DY Chandrachud heard Varrier’s counsel Haris Beeran (pictured left) before ordering a stay on criminal proceedings..The Court also stayed similar proceedings against the Director and the Producer of the movie Oru Adaar Love, in which the song features..When the matter came up for hearing today, the Bench asked Haris Beeran why they have not approached the High Court..“There are multiple proceedings in different High Courts”, replied Beeran..The Court then proceeded to issue notice while ordering that,.“After hearing learned counsel for the petitioners for some time, we are inclined to direct that any criminal action initiated against the petitioners in the respondent States or in any other State solely on the basis of the promotional video of the song “Manikya Malaraya Poovi” in the movie titled “Oru Addar Love”, shall remain stayed and no further criminal action shall be initiated against the petitioners either by way of F.I.R. or private complaint on the basis of their participation in the song in the aforesaid movie..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..This prompted Priya Prakash Varrier and others to file a petition in the Supreme Court. The plea 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..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. The petition states,.“…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.”.Therefore, it was 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 had also been sought..Read the order below.
