The Accidental Prime Minister: Delhi HC dismisses PIL demanding stay on trailer of Anupam Kher's film

Anupam Kher-starrer The Accidental Prime Minister has been in the eye of the storm ever since the trailer was dropped. Now, Delhi High Court has dismissed a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) against the release of the trailer of The Accidental Prime Minister, according to news agency ANI.

Delhi High Court has dismissed a PIL against the release of the trailer of the movie "The Accidental Prime Minister". Court questioned the locus of the petitioner Pooja Mahajan. Petitioner's counsel says we are moving supreme court. pic.twitter.com/FS73AO7JOS

— ANI (@ANI) January 9, 2019

The PIL was filed by Pooja Mahajan, a fashion designer based in Delhi, seeking the revocation of the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) nod to the film and the subsequent withdrawal of its trailer, claiming that the film violated Section 416 of the Indian Penal Code as impersonation of a living character or living persons is not permissible in law. Further, it said that the the film is not based on Sanjaya Baru’s book, a fact that has been maintained by the makers of The Accidental Prime Minister.

As per Bar and Bench , a Division Bench of Chief Justice Rajendra Menon and Justice V Kameswar Rao refused to entertain the PIL on the ground that the petitioner had no locus.

Her counsel Arun Maitri said that they are moving the Supreme court over the matter.

Anupam Kher plays Manmohan Singh in the biopic based on the book The Accidental Prime Minister: The Making and Unmaking of Manmohan Singh by Sanjaya Baru, who was Singh’s media advisor.

The film is slated for a release on 11 January.