New Delhi: The Supreme Court Wednesday declined to grant interim protection from arrest to Ali Abbas Zafar, director of the web series Tandav, and others seeking quashing of FIRs against them for allegedly hurting religious sentiments of Hindus and issued notices to Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and other states on their pleas.
A bench comprising justices Ashok Bhushan, R. Subhash Reddy and M.R. Shah was hearing as many as three separate petitions filed by Zafar, Amazon Prime India head Aparna Purohit, producer Himanshu Mehra, the show’s writer Gaurav Solanki and actor Mohammed Zeeshan Ayyub.
Besides seeking quashing of the FIRs, the pleas sought clubbing of the FIRs.
The nine-episode political thriller is facing a host of cases, accusing it of hurting religious sentiments, “inappropriate” depiction of the UP Police and adverse portrayal of a character who is the prime minister. While three cases have been filed in Uttar Pradesh, another was filed in Maharashtra.
The show was forced to drop the scenes which have allegedly hurt religious sentiments, but continues to be probed.
According to news agency PTI, the bench sought the responses of state governments in UP, MP, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Bihar and Delhi on the pleas.
Tandav stars Bollywood A-listers Saif Ali Khan, Dimple Kapadia and Mohd Zeeshan Ayyub.