Goddess Kaali poster: SC transfers all FIRs against filmmaker Leena Manimekalai to Delhi [Read Order]

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Monday transferred to Delhi police special cell as many as five FIRs lodged at various places across the country against filmmaker Leena Manimekalai for depicting Hindu Goddess Kaali smoking a cigarette in a poster of her documentary film.

A bench of Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud and Justices P S Narasimha and J B Pardiwala also gave liberty to the petitioner to move the High Court of Delhi in appropriate proceedings under Section 482 of the Code of Criminal Procedure 1973 for quashing of those FIRs.

"Having heard counsel appearing on behalf of the contesting parties, we order and direct that the FIRs listed out shall stand.transferred to the IFSO Unit, Special Cell Delhi so that they may be investigated together with FIR No 194 of 2022," the bench said.

The court also directed the protection granted to her on January 20, 2023 should continue to operate until the Delhi police special cell filed a final report. The court said it could not quash the FIRs as it would lead to an endless exercise.

The court thus disposed of the plea by the filmmaker.

The FIRs transferred to the Delhi police are those registered by Lucknow's Hazratganj PS, in MP's PS Station Road Ratlam, in MP's Bhopal Crime Branch, in MP's PS Annapurna, Indore; and Uttarakhand's PS Kankhal, Haridwar.

The court had earlier issued notice to the Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi and Madhya Pradesh on a writ petition filed by her and indicated to consolidate all FIRs.

The petitioner claimed, she is a Graduate student in a Canada University, and did not intende to hurt religious feelings.

Her plea also sought a direction to quash all the FIRs registered against the filmmaker in various states over the poster of her documentary titled Kaali.

The filmmaker also claimed that she had also received open calls for violence against her and her family after she tweeted a poster of the documentary.

[Read Order]