‘Shooter’ producer withdraws plea in HC against ban

To file petition again after going through Punjab govt’s notification on banning the movie

The producer of controversial Punjabi movie “Shooter”, who moved the Punjab and Haryana high court last week challenging the Punjab government’s move to ban the movie in the state, on Monday withdrew the petition.

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Producer’s counsel Vipul Babuta said when the petition was moved on Thursday, the notification of state government banning the movie was not available. Even Haryana government’s notification on banning the movie came after the petition was moved. “We will file the petition again with relevant documents,” he said.

Punjab had banned the movie on February 9, two weeks before its official release on February 21 after it argued that the trailer of film, a biopic on slain gangster Sukha Kahlwan, showed violence and glorifies him through visuals and songs.

The producer, Keval Singh, then moved a petition in the high court, seeking directions to Punjab to withdraw the decision of banning the movie and further not to obstruct the public exhibition of the film.

Gangster Kahlwan, who used to describe himself as “sharpshooter’ was involved in more than 20 cases, including murder, kidnapping and extortion. He was shot dead by gangster Vicky Gounder and his accomplices on January 22, 2015, while he was being brought back to Patiala Jail after a court hearing in Jalandhar.