'Yaariyan-2': Director, producers and actor booked for hurting religious sentiments
PTC Web Desk: The Punjab Police on Thursday filed a case against upcoming movie 'Yaariyan-2' director Bhushan Kumar, producers Radhika Rao and Vinay Sapru, and actor Meezaan Jafri. They are accused of offending religious sentiments in a scene wherein the actor is purportedly seen wearing 'kirpan'.
Sub-Inspector Ashok Kumar said an FIR was lodged in Jalandhar district on Wednesday evening based on a complaint from a member of the Sikh Talmel Committee.
The police said the FIR was filed under Section 295-A of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), which pertained to deliberate and malicious acts aimed at outraging the religious sentiments of any community by insulting its beliefs.
As per the complaint lodged by Harpreet Singh, a committee member, the actor was observed wearing a 'kirpan'—a significant emblem of the Sikh faith—within a song sequence of the film.
The complainant said this incident had caused distress to the Sikh community's religious sentiments, as wearing 'kirpan' was a privilege reserved for Sikhs in accordance with the Sikh Code of Conduct.
The SGPC, the highest governing body of the Sikh community, has already expressed concern over the actor's purported use of the 'kirpan' in the song titled "Saure ghar" from the movie. The SGPC also filed a complaint with the Amritsar Police Commissioner.
Despite the film's director's claim that the actor was wearing a 'khukri' (a curved knife) rather than a 'kirpan,' and clarifying their lack of intent to insult or undermine religious sentiments, the SGPC remained unconvinced, stating, "Your irrational explanation does not meet our satisfaction."
In response to the explanation offered by the film's directors, the SGPC responded, "Sikhs are well aware of the distinct shapes and proper ways of wearing both 'kirpan' and 'khukri'. Your unreasonable clarification fails to satisfy us. Consequently, we are commencing the procedure for legal action due to the ongoing public availability of the video song, which consistently inflicts distress upon the religious sentiments of the Sikh community."
- With inputs from agencies
