Mirzapur Web-Series: Allahabad High Court Quashes FIR Against Makers, Directors & Writers

The Allahabad High Court today quashed the First Information Report (FIR) registered against Web Series Mirzapur's producers Farhan Akhtar and Ritesh Sidhwani in a case registered against them alleging that the series showed Uttar Pradesh in a "bad light". A Bench of Justice MC Tripathi and Justice Subhash Vidyarthi also quashed the FIR against 'Mirzapur Series' Directors and Writers namely Karan Anshuman, Gurmeet Singh, Puneet Krishna, and Vineet Krishna. It may be noted that a First information report was lodged against Farhan Akhtar & Ritesh Sidhwani on 17th January 2021 at Kotwali Dehat Police Station (Mirzapur) at the instance of a local Journalist Arvind Chaturvedi for an undated incident. The FIR had been registered for the offence under Section 295-A, 504, 505, 34 of IPC & Section 67-A of Information Technology Act. As per the FIR, the primary allegation of the Complainant was that 'certain' content in Web Series titled MIRZAPUR depicted the town of Mirzapur (and the places within) as anti-Social and infested with crime and that the Series promoted illicit relationships, abusive language, casteism and portrays a wrong/ polluted picture of the Legal/Judicial System therein. It had been further asserted by the Complainant in the FIR that the portrayal of the town of Mirzapur in such a manner is far away from the reality of life in Mirzapur and thereby has hurt his sentiments. Interestingly, the first informant had also mentioned the fact that some of his friends/acquaintances have started calling him as "Kaaleen Bhaiya" who is the antagonist in the series and is involved in various illegal activities.Earlier this year, the producers had approached the Court seeking quashing of the FIR, thereafter, the writers and directors of the show too, had approached the court. The Court had stayed their arrests in January and February this year.The Petitioners (Farhan Akhtar & Ritesh Sidhwani) had submitted before the Court that the said Series is purely a work of fiction, which is specifically clarified in the said Series by way of a disclaimer at the start of each Episode which apprises all its viewers that the said Series respects all faiths and religions and that all places and events in the said Series are completely fictional.It was also submitted that the Series has been created and is exhibited sans any intention whatsoever whether on part of the Petitioners or the professionals associated with the same to hurt religious feelings/sentiments and/or to break the public peace and/or to incite or likely to incite any class or community of persons to commit any offence against any other class or community and/or creating or promoting enmity, hatred or ill will between classes.For the petitioners, the matter was argued by Manish Tiwary (Sr. Adv) Gopal Chaturvedi (Sr. Adv) assisted by Imran Ibrahim (Adv) and Jay Bhardwaj (Adv).

Mirzapur Web-Series: Allahabad High Court Quashes FIR Against Makers, Directors & Writers

Sparsh Upadhyay

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