Court bars coercive step against Karan Johar in 'KWK' case
The Rajasthan High Court has directed the state not to take any coercive steps against filmmaker Karan Johar in a case lodged against him and Indian cricketers Hardik Pandya and KL Rahul for allegedly making derogatory remarks against women. The trio had faced a lot of flak after Pandya and Rahul's controversial appearance on Johar's popular television talk show. Here are more details.
The court has also issued a notice to the Rajasthan government seeking the latest factual report in the case. The First Information Report (FIR) in this regard had been filed by DR Meghwal, a resident of Sarecha village in Jodhpur district. In the FIR, the complainant alleged that Pandya had made insulting remarks against women in Johar's TV program.
Earlier, the court had provided interim protection to both Pandya and Rahul after they moved a petition seeking quashing of the FIR. Now, after hearing Johar's petition, Justice Dr. Pushpendra Singh Bhati ordered the complainant as well as the state government to submit their responses in the matter. "The petitioner shall be permitted to present his case to the investigating officer," the court said.
In 2019, Pandya and Rahul had made an appearance on Johar's show, Koffee with Karan, where they had allegedly made misogynistic remarks. After the episode aired, the duo faced massive criticism. Thereafter, cricket body BCCI had put the two cricketers under suspension and asked them to return home from Australia. Johar and the cricketers had issued apologies at that time.
Johar has been mired in controversies in the recent past. He was massively trolled in the aftermath of actor Suhant Singh Rajput's alleged suicide last year. The filmmaker has been blamed for promoting nepotism in the industry and giving chances only to star kids. More recently, he was issued a notice by the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) in connection with an ongoing drug probe.
