Allahabad (Uttar Pradesh) [India], February 26 (ANI): The Allahabad High Court on Thursday refused to grant anticipatory bail to Aparna Purohit, the head of India Originals, Amazon Prime Video, in a case filed in Noida against makers of the web series ‘Tandav’ over the depiction of police, the Prime Minister and Hindu Gods and Goddesses.
A single-judge bench of Justice Siddharth passed this order yesterday while hearing an anticipatory bail application.
According to the order, the anticipatory bail application had been filed by Purohit in the case under Sections- 153 (A) (1) (b), 295-A, 505 (1) (b),505 (2) IPC, Section 66 and 67 of the Information Technology Act and Section 3 (1) (r) of SC/ST Act.
It said that the allegation in the FIR lodged against the applicant and six other co-accused persons is that a web series is being shown on Amazon Prime Video, which is an online movie OTT (over-the-top) platform, has objectionable content.
The web series is being shown through Amazon Prime Video through Head of India Originals, as a paid movie.
The order further said that the movie has been directed by co-accused, Ali Abbas Zafar. The content of this movie is affecting the image of the Uttar Pradesh police adversely. In a Dial 100 police vehicle, two actors are shown travelling with open doors in a police uniform, consuming liquor and hurling abuses, it added.
It is also seen that Hindu gods and goddesses have been depicted in a bad light with the intention of inciting communal sentiments.
The post of Prime Minister has been depicted in a manner that will adversely affect the democratic system of the country. Caste and community-related utterances have been made deliberately so that they may affect public peace, the judgment noted.
A disclaimer is included in the movie in this regard. The cast and crew of the web series Tandav have already issued an unconditional apology and have removed the offensive scenes.
Purohit, along with other co-accused persons, filed a petition under Article 32 of the Constitution of India before the apex court praying for quashing of the number of FIRs and complaint cases lodged against the applicant and other co-accused persons on January 27, 2021.
Notices have been issued to the opposite parties, leaving it open for the accused persons to approach the High Court of the state for grant of bail/anticipatory bail. Hence, the applicant sought bail from the Allahabad High Court.
The state government, meanwhile, had vehemently opposed the application by Purohit. Additional Government Advocate (AGA) has submitted that total of ten FIRs and four criminal complaints have been filed relating to the disputed web series in the country.
The Allahabad HC said there have been attempts in movies to subvert the image of historical and mythological personalities and mentions “Padmavati”.
The court further noted that there appeared to be a design behind such acts. (ANI)

New Delhi [India], February 26 (ANI): On the second anniversary of Balakot air strikes, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Friday saluted the exceptional courage and diligence of the Indian Air Force (IAF) and said “the success of strikes has shown India’s strong will to act against terrorism”.
“On the anniversary of Balakot Air Strikes, I salute the exceptional courage and diligence of the Indian Air Force. The success of Balakot strikes has shown India’s strong will to act against terrorism. We are proud of our Armed Forces who keep India safe and secure,” the Defence Minister tweeted.
On February 14, Pakistan-based terror outfit Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) targeted a CRPF convoy on the Jammu-Srinagar highway near Pulwama in South Kashmir killing 40 CPRF personnel.
Days later IAF launched an air-strike on a JeM camp in Balakot in Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province.
The air-strike was launched in the early hours of February 26 and Pakistan’s efforts to launch an offensive the next day to target Indian military installations in Jammu and Kashmir was thwarted by an alert IAF.
In the dogfight, Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman, flying a MiG-21 Bison fighter plane and chasing Pakistani jets, crossed over to PoK where his aircraft was shot down. He was taken into custody by Pakistan. India also shot down a Pakistani fighter jet. (ANI)

Jodhpur (Rajasthan) [India], February 26 (ANI): Rajasthan Police arrested 10 people for immoral trafficking in the Ghas Mandi Area of Jodhpur on Thursday.
Police arrested the accused after a raid was conducted in the area.
“We conducted a raid in Ghas Mandi area. We had information that some women, in an organised way, were conducting immoral trafficking. We have booked 10 people in the case,” said Manglesh Chundawat, Superintendent of Police (SP), Jodhpur.
The SP said that further probe in the case is underway. (ANI)

Malappuram (Kerala) [India], February 26 (ANI): ‘Metro Man’ E Sreedharan formally joined Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Malappuram on Thursday in presence of Union Minister RK Singh.
Sreedharan joined the party during BJP’s ongoing Vijaya Yatra led by Kerala BJP Chief K Surendran.
“Metro man Sri E Sreedharan joins BJP at Mallapuram in the presence of Union Minister RK Singh during Kerala Vijaya Yatra led by K Surendran,” tweeted BJP National General Secretary BL Santhosh.
Ahead of Assembly elections in Kerala, former Delhi Metro chief E Sreedharan on February 18 announced that he will join the BJP.
“If BJP comes to power in Kerala, I am ready to become the chief minister. The party has not asked me till now as it is too premature. But if BJP asks me, I am willing to take up the post and show how a state can be run efficiently like we are running DMRC,” Sreedharan had told ANI earlier.
The Assembly elections in Kerala are likely between April-May this year. (ANI)

New Delhi [India], February 26 (ANI): Former Haryana Congress leader Ashok Tanwar launched a new political party ‘Apna Bharat Morcha’ in the national capital on Thursday.
Former Tripura Congress leader Kirit Pradyut Deb Barman was among the scores of leaders who attended the launched event.
Speaking at the event Tanwar said that people who left Congress made a tough decision but they did so because they wanted to work for the nation.
He quoted cartoonist RK Laxman and said, “The real Congress will be reduced in size through constant splits.” Tanwar said Laxman’s words are a reality of today’s Congress.
“Apna Bharat Morcha will work with a three-pillared approach of dialogue, debate, and discussion,” he said.
Stating that the Congress has drifted away from its basic principle and ideology, Tanwar had resignation from the primary membership of the party in October 2019, days before the Haryana Assembly polls.
He later extended his support to Dushyant Chautala’s Jannayak Janata Party (JJP) and campaigned against Congress in the 2019 Haryana Assembly elections. (ANI)

Chandigarh [India] February 26 (ANI): The Youth Akali Dal (YAD) will gherao Delhi Police personnel for singling out Punjabi youth for arrests by registering false cases against them in connection with the January 26 incidents in the national capital.
Taking to Twitter, Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) said, “Youth Akali Dal (YAD) president Parambans Singh Romana today announced that YAD will gherao Delhi Police personnel singling out Punjabi youth for arrests by registering false cases against them in connection with the January 26 incidents.”
“We stand by our youth. I request all affected families to seek the support of the YAD in this connection. We will not allow any discrimination against our youth at any cost, Romana said,” SAD tweeted.
During the farmers’ tractor rally organised to protest against the Centre’s three new farm laws, some people broke barricades to enter Delhi and indulged in vandalism across several parts of the national capital on Republic Day.
Several numbers of FIRs (First Information Reports) have been filed by the Delhi Police with one of them mentioning the incident at ITO (Income Tax Office) where a farmer died after his tractor overturned.
Farmers have been protesting on the different borders of the national capital since November 26 against the three newly enacted farm laws – Farmers’ Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020; the Farmers Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and farm Services Act 2020 and the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, 2020. (ANI)