Bombay High Court gives temporary protection from arrest to filmmaker Mahesh Manjrekar

Mahesh Manjrekar. File Photo

The Bombay High Court on Tuesday directed the city police not to take any "coercive action" such as arrest against filmmaker Mahesh Manjrekar and two producers for three weeks in a case related to alleged obscene scenes involving minors in the Marathi film "Nay Varan Bhat Loncha Kon Nay Koncha."

The city police earlier this week lodged an FIR against Manjrekar and others under the Protection Of Children From Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.

Manjrekar, who has directed the film, and producers Narendra Hirawat and Shreyansh Hirawat have moved the HC seeking that the case be quashed. They also sought interim protection from arrest.

The petitioners' lawyers Shirish Gupte and Aabad Ponda told the court that Manjrekar and the Hirawats were willing to cooperate with the probe and appear before the police for questioning whenever required.

A division bench of Justices P B Varale and S P Tawde after hearing the case briefly said the petitioners had made out a case for the grant of interim relief.

The film has already been released after obtaining a certificate from the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) and the alleged objectionable scenes were not even part of the film, the judges noted.

"The scenes were part of the trailer....they have been deleted," the court said.

"We direct the police to not take any coercive action or steps against the petitioners for three weeks," the high court added, adjourning the hearing.

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