The Supreme Court has directed that all criminal complaints filed against filmmaker Leena Manimekalai be transferred to the Delhi Police in the cases against her for depicting Goddess Kaali in a film poster.
A Bench comprising Chief Justice of India (CJI) DY Chandrachud, Justice PS Narasimha and Justice JB Pardiwala asked Manimekalai to approach the Delhi High Court for quashing the FIRs in question.
The Court directed that all the FIRs shall should be transferred to the IFSO unit Special Cell, Delhi Police.
The Court added that ad-interim protection, which was granted to protecting petitioner from coercive steps, shall continue to operate in relation to present or future FIRs. It added that the petitioner can move Delhi High Court to file a Section 482 plea.
Additional Solicitor General Aishwarya Bhati sought a direction to the petitioner to cooperate in the probe.
The CJI said there is nothing apart from the film, there is nothing else, so she can be contacted on video call or something.
In January, the Apex Court had protected the filmmaker against coercive action on the basis of FIRs registered against her for depicting Kaali smoking a cigarette in a poster of her upcoming film.
The Court believed that multiple FIRs in several states would cause serious prejudice to Manimekalai and directed they be clubbed together.
The Court thus said that she could approach the relevant High Court for quashing the case under Section 482 of the Code of Criminal Procedure.
Manimekalai’s plea sought a direction to quash all nine FIRs registered against her in several states.