'Mirzapur': Allahabad High Court stays arrest of show's makers
The Allahabad High Court has stayed the arrest of web series Mirzapur's producers, Farhan Akhtar and Ritesh Sidhwani, in connection with a First Information Report (FIR) filed against them. The show's makers have been accused of promoting social enmity and showing the titular area in poor light. The investigation in this matter is currently on. Here are more details on this.
Earlier this month, an FIR was filed against the producers of the series under the Sections 295-A, 504, 505 and 34 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and Section 67-A of the IT Act. The FIR was registered at the Kotwali Dehat Police Station in Mirzapur district, Uttar Pradesh, based on the complaint of one Arvind Chaturvedi of Chilbiliya village.
After the FIR was lodged against Akhtar and Sidhwani, they filed a writ petition in the court. The court has issued notices seeking responses from the Uttar Pradesh government and the complainant, and scheduled the next hearing in the first week of March. However, while granting relief, Justices Manoj Kumar Gupta and Subhash Chand also directed the producers to cooperate in the investigation.
In the hearing, the court stated, "Having regard to the facts of the case and the submissions made, till the next date of listing or till submission of a police report under Section 173(2) CrPC, whichever is earlier, no coercive action shall be taken against the petitioners in pursuance of the FIR registered (sic)." "However, the petitioners shall offer full cooperation in the investigation."
Meanwhile, the counsels representing the producers argued that the show was not made with any deliberate or malicious intention to hurt the sentiments of the citizens of India or to insult social and religious feelings of the people of any class or caste.
Directed by Karan Anshuman, Gurmmeet Singh and Mihir Desai, the first season of the show was released in 2018, while the second leg was aired last year. The show features actors Pankaj Tripathi, Divyendu Sharma, Ali Fazal, Shweta Tripathi Sharma, Vijay Varma, and Harshita Gaur, among others. Recently, the team had announced that a third season of the show is also on the cards.
Mirzapur came under the radar after another Prime Video show, Tandav, landed in a major controversy. Its makers are accused of insulting Hindu deities and hurting religious sentiments. Even as the team has issued a public apology and made changes to the show, the Supreme Court refused to grant interim protection from arrest to the makers in connection with several FIRs filed against them.
