The Supreme Court on Friday said Ekta Kapoor was “polluting the minds of the young generation” of the country, PTI reported.
It made the statement while hearing pleas by the producer challenging the arrest warrants issued for her over the web series XXX.
Last month, a court in Bihar had issued an arrest warrant for Ekta Kapoor and her mother Shobha Kapoor for allegedly insulting soldiers and hurting the sentiments of their families. The web series was aired on ALT Balaji, an over-the-top, or OTT, platform owned by Ekta Kapoor’s Balaji Telefilms Limited. Shobha Kapoor is also associated with Balaji Telefilms.
At Friday’s hearing, a bench of Justices Ajay Rastogi and CT Ravikumar said that something has to be done in the case. “OTT content is available to all,” the court said. “What kind of choice are you providing to the people?”
Senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi, representing Ekta Kapoor, argued the content available on OTT platforms is available to users based on subscription and that there is freedom of choice in this country.
The judges, however, wondered what kind of choice is being given to the audience. “Everytime you travel to this court….we don’t appreciate this,” the bench added. “We will put a cost on you for filing such a petition. Mr Rohatgi please convey this to your client. Just because you can afford and hire the services of good lawyers….this court is not for those who have voices.”
Rohatgi said that a petition has been filed before the Patna High Court for relief, but there is no hope for the matter to be listed for hearing soon, PTI reported.
The Supreme Court kept the case pending and suggested Rohatgi seek the services of a local lawyer to find out about the status of the hearing in the High Court.
The arrest warrant for Ekta Kapoor and her mother was issued on a complaint filed in 2020 by Shambhu Kumar, an ex-serviceman and a resident of Begusarai. He had alleged that XXX, in its second season, featured several objectionable scenes related to a wife of a soldier.
Besides the complaint in Begusarai, two more first information reports were registered against Ekta Kapoor in connection with the web series in Muzaffarpur and Indore.
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