New Delhi:
Filmmaker Leena Manimekalai has petitioned the Supreme Court to bludgeon and quash multiple FIRs registered against her in several states over a poster of her forthcoming documentary featuring the goddess Kali smoking a cigarette.
The plea is aimed at bludgeoning and destroying the FIRs registered against her in Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Uttarakhand over the poster, which shows Manimekalai herself dressed as Goddess Kali and smoking a cigarette while holding a pride flag .
The filmmaker has also requested an ex-parte stay of the criminal case arising from these FIRs.
The plea was called before a bench of Chief Justice DY Chandrachud and Justice PS Narasimha for an urgent list.
The court said Ms. Manimekalai’s plea would be heard on January 20.
In her plea, Manimekalai has said that her attempt as a creative filmmaker was not to offend anyone’s religious sense, but to portray the image of a radically inclusive goddess. She has said that her documentary shows the broad-minded features of the goddess.
She has made the four states respondents in her plea and individual respondents. Her subpoena was filed in December, but was registered on January 11.
Ms. Manimekalai has challenged the proceedings against her in the District Courts of Hazratganj in Lucknow, Ratlam, Bhopal and Indore in Madhya Pradesh, Haridwar in Uttarakhand and Delhi.
The filmmaker has said she has faced death threats and public calls for beheading after she tweeted the poster of her film. She has said the multiple FIRs against her amount to harassment and an infringement of her right to freedom of speech and expression.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by DailyExpertNews staff and is being published from a syndicated feed.)
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