Big relief to Bharti Singh and actor Shekhar Suman from Bombay High Court, the case was related to comments on religion.

Mumbai:Bombay High Court has given relief to comedian Bharti Singh and actor Shekhar Suman by giving a big verdict in an old case. The court has ordered the cancellation of the FIR registered in 2010, which has provided huge legal relief to both the artists.

In this case, the allegation was that some dialogues said during a TV program hurt religious sentiments, but the court clarified that things said for the purpose of humor and satire do not fall within the scope of insulting religion.

High Court’s decision on 2010 FIR

In the hearing held on Wednesday, the Bombay High Court rejected the FIR lodged at Pydhonie police station. This case was registered under sections 295-A and 34 of the Indian Penal Code.

The court said in its order that based on the available facts, this case does not deserve to continue criminal proceedings.

Controversy over ‘Rasgulla’ and ‘Dahi Bhalla’

The words which were considered objectionable in the case were "Oh God! Rasgulla! Dahi Bhalla!". The petitioners said that these words were used only for the purpose of rhyme and humor.

Agreeing with this argument, the court said that words like Dahi Bhalla and Rasgulla are names of common food items, which have no connection with any religion.

Important comment of the court

The High Court said in its decision that mentioning food items in a comedy program cannot be considered an insult to religion, unless it is proved that they were used intentionally to insult.

The court also said that artists can be easily targeted, but the criminal law should not be misused.

Entertainment programs and cast

The court also acknowledged that the program was a family entertainment show, which was being aired for a long time. In such shows, the aim of the artists and judges is only to entertain the audience and generate laughter.

Order to cancel FIR

In the end, the court clarified that the allegations in the case are not prima facie proven. Therefore, the FIR registered on 27 November 2010 and all proceedings related thereto are quashed and quashed.