PRIYA SINGH PAUL Vs. MADHUR BHANDARKAR & ORS.

JUDGEMENT

(1.) Heard Mr. K. Sultan Singh, learned senior counsel along with Mr. Samar Vijay Singh, learned counsel for the petitioner and Mr. Dhruv Mehta, learned senior counsel along with Mr. Harshvardhan Jha, learned counsel for the respondent No.

(2.) The present special leave petition calls in question the legal propriety of the order dated 24th July, 2017, passed by the Division Bench of the High Court of Judicature at Bombay in Writ Petition (Lodging) No.1947 of 2017, whereby the High Court has declined to quash the certificate granted by the Central Board of Film Certification (C.B.F.C) to the film, namely, "Indu Sarkar".

(3.) On a perusal of the impugned order, it transpires that the High Court has observed that the writ petition was not in the nature and character of a public interest litigation, but in the individual capacity of the petitioner. It has observed certain aspects with regard to the status of the petitioner and finally opined that the petitioner's claim on the basis of unclear status is not acceptable and untenable. As far as the status of the petitioner is concerned, we do not intend to say anything in that regard as that might be ultimately a matter of civil litigation. As far as the film is concerned, the High Court has taken note of the disclaimer, the merger of facts and fiction and the sanctity of the certificate granted by the Central Board of Film Certification and non-challenge by anyone else and has, accordingly, declined to interfere.