High Court to hear pleas against release of Hindi film based on Malegoan blast

The Bombay High Court will hear three petitions challenging the release of the upcoming Hindi film Match Fixing – The Nation at Stake, set for a December 15 release and is said to be based on events leading to the 2008 Malegaon bomb blast.

Lt Colonel Prasad Purohit, an accused in the Malegaon blast case, filed a petition claiming the film’s portrayal could harm his reputation as a decorated army officer.

The plea also stated that the trial is about a "very sensitive issue" and cannot be taken casually as "Freedom of Art".

Purohit’s lawyer, Dhrutiman Joshi, argued before Justices Revati Mohite-Dere and Prithviraj Chavan that the film, allegedly depicting Purohit’s life, must be reviewed urgently due to its nearing release.

The film's trailer and promotional posters show an army officer resembling Purohit in uniform, who served in the Indian Army’s Military Intelligence unit.

Purohit, who was granted bail by the Supreme Court in 2017, has previously argued against media portrayals of the case, leading to a court order limiting media discussion until the trial's conclusion.

Another Malegaon blast accused, Sameer Kulkarni, also challenged the film’s release, citing the previous order against media debates on the case.

A third petitioner, Nadim Khan, claimed the film's trailer reinforces harmful stereotypes against Muslims, alleging it suggests animosity by Muslims towards India and promotes false narratives.

The court is expected to hear the cases on Tuesday morning.

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) also referred to the earlier court order, urging an appropriate decision on the film’s release.

A bomb strapped to a motorcycle, allegedly belonging to former BJP MP Pragya Thakur, went off at Bhiku Chowk in Malegaon, killing half a dozen people and injuring many more in 2008.

Denying his involvement in the incident, Purohit had told the court that even assuming that the charges that he had supplied the bomb for the 2008 blast were true, he would still have to be out of jail as the offence attracted a maximum of seven years' imprisonment.

He was granted bail by the top court in 2017 after being in jail for nine years.

Published By: Vadapalli Nithin KumarPublished On: Nov 11, 2024READ | Lt Colonel Purohit claims he was tortured to name Yogi Adityanath & RSS, VHP leadersMust Watch.