No ban on film Muzaffarnagar, UP govt tells Supreme Court

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Monday asked the Uttar Pradesh government to allow the release of the Hindi film Muzaffarnagar: The burning Love in six districts of Uttar Pradesh with police protection.

The movie is a love story of a Hindu boy and a Muslim girl set in the backdrop of the 2013 Muzaffarnagar riots in Uttar Pradesh.

A three-judge bench of Chief Justice Dipak Misra and Justices A.M. Kanwilkar and D.Y. Chandrachud passed this order after counsel for the state informed the court that no ban order had been passed to stop the screening of the film, though the petitioner asserted that there was a oral order.

The bench asked petitioner Morna Entertainment Pvt Ltd to release the film as the state had not passed any ban order.

The bench said the state would provide police protection for the release of the film if it seeks such a protection. The court rejected the plea for payment of Rs 50 lakhs compensation.

The film was granted “UA” certificate by the Censor Board to be shown to the audience as acceptable and without any objectionable material. The certificate also mentions the cuts and modifications imposed by the Censor board, which has been duly carried out. It was released on November 17 all over India.

Due to the non-release of the film in these districts he had suffered a huge financial loss, which could not be quantified at this stage. The action of the authorities had also resulted in negative publicity for the film.