The Supreme Court on Thursday dismissed a plea seeking the formation of a committee to screen web series, films and other programs before they are aired on online platforms, ANI reported.
“This court has always been consistent that pre-censorship is not something which is permissible,” a bench headed by Chief Justice UU Lalit said, according to Live Law. “How can there be a pre-screening committee for web series?”
The court was hearing a plea filed by Mirzapur resident Sujeet Kumar Singh, who had alleged that the Amazon Prime web series that goes by the name of the Uttar Pradesh town had displayed it as a “city of goons and adulteresses”.
Besides the formation of a pre-screening committee, Singh’s petition also sought a ban on the release of the second season of the show. However, the court took note that the second season had already been released on October 23, 2020, and decided to take up the screening committee for consideration.
At the hearing on Thursday, the petitioner also pointed out that a third season of the show was also in the production stage. However, Justice Lalit said for that prayer to be considered, the petitioner would have to place the updated facts on record before the court.
“First and foremost you have to make out the case for this kind of prayer– a pre-exhibition censorship,” he said. “ What is the material to say that which statutory provision applies?”
The court then granted the petitioner the liberty to withdraw his plea and file it with modifications.
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