The Lucknow Police on Monday registered a case against filmmaker Leena Manimekalai in connection with a controversial poster of her documentary “Kaali” in which a woman dressed up as Goddess Kaali is shown smoking a cigarette.
The FIR was registered on July 4 at Hazratganj police station by advocate Ved Prakash Shukla in which he accused the Canada-based filmmaker, Leena Manimekalai, producer Asha Associates and editor Shravan Onachan of hurting people’s sentiments through the film.
Lucknow deputy commissioner of police (DCP), central, Aparana Rajat Kaushaik said the FIR was registered under IPC sections 120-B for criminal conspiracy, 153-B for offence in a place of worship, 295 for deliberately hurting religious sentiments and 295-A for deliberate and malicious acts, intended to outrage religious feelings of any class, 298 for deliberate intention of wounding the religious feelings.
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She said IPC sections 504 for insult, 505(1) (b) to fear or alarm to the public and 505(2) for statements conducing public mischief as well as sections 66 and 67 of Information Technology for misusing and sharing inflammatory posts were also included in the FIR.
{{/usCountry}}She said IPC sections 504 for insult, 505(1) (b) to fear or alarm to the public and 505(2) for statements conducing public mischief as well as sections 66 and 67 of Information Technology for misusing and sharing inflammatory posts were also included in the FIR.
{{/usCountry}}The official said the complainant mentioned in the FIR that the poster of the film was going viral on social media following which there was anger among people.
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The DCP added that the complainant said the filmmaker and her team’s act was against Hindu religious sentiments.
The controversy erupted after the Madurai-born filmmaker shared a poster of “Kaali” on Twitter on Saturday, showing the goddess smoking and holding an LGBTQ flag.
A similar case was also registered against the filmmaker in Delhi.