Punjab & Haryana High Court Stays Police Notices To Raveena Tandon, Farah Khan, Bharti Singh In 2020 FIR For Hurting Christian Sentiments

The Punjab & Haryana High Court has stayed till July 14, police notices issued to actor Raveena Tandon, filmmaker Farah Khan and comedian Bharti Singh accused of hurting religious sentiments of the Christian community.

In 2019 Farha Khan hosted a show namely "Backbenchers", where she invited celebrities to test their general knowledge. According to the complainant, the accused persons hurt the religious sentiments of the Christian community by comparing the word “Hallelujah” with a vulgar word.

While adjourning the plea to July 14, Justice Manisha Batra said, "at this stage, learned counsel for the petitioner(s) submitted that the respondents have started issuing notices under Section 35 of BNS calling upon them to join investigation. Till the next date of heairng, no such steps shall be taken by the respondents."

The Court was hearing plea seeking quashing of the First Information Report registered in 2020 against the accused for their comments made during the show.

Counsel representing Raveena Tandon, Farah Khan and Bharti Singh, Abhinav Sood submitted that there was nothing in the show to perceive that it was intended to hurt the religious sentiments of the Christian community. The hurt must be “deliberate and malicious”.

"The show was not being telecast for discussing anything about Christian or Christianity. It was a show for entertaining people and it was a non-fiction quiz show. In this situation, no ill intention on the part of the applicant can be attributed by any stretch of imagination," added the plea.

In 2022, the High Court had directed the State that "no coercive steps" shall be taken against the petitioners.

Mr. Abhinav Sood, Advocate Ms. Anmol Gupta, Advocate, Ms. Mehndi Singhal, Advocate,

Ms. Sayyam Garg, Advocate Mr. Jay K. Bhaardawaj, Advocate and Mr. Arsh Bir Bhatti, Advocate,

for the petitioners in CRM-M-2898-2020, CRM-M-3192-2020, CRM-M-10378- 2020, CRM-M-10445-2020, CRM-M-44189-2021.

Mr. Akshay Bhan, Senior Advocate with Mr. Ishan Kshetarpal, Advocate and Mr. Harsh Gupta, Advocate, for the petitioner in CRM-M-9475-2020.

Ms. Himani Arora, AAG, Punjab.

Mr. Gaurav Garg Dhuriwala, Advocate for respondent No.2 in CRM-M-44189-2021 and CRM-M-9475-2020.

Title: RAVEENA TANDON AND ANOTHER v. STATE OF PUNJAB AND ANOTHER

Click here to read/download the order