In continuing trouble for the organisers and participants of the 'AIB Knockout' show which raised the hackles of moral brigade, a Mumbai court has ordered police to register a first information report (FIR).
According to media reports, Lucknow police have also registered an FIR against the organisers and participants of the controversial 'AIB Roast' show, including Bollywood director-actor Karan Johar and actors Ranveer Singh and Arjun Kapoor.
An FIR has already been filed in Pune, while Maharashtra government has announced an inquiry.
"The complaint be sent to the police station concerned for investigation and report," said additional magistrate C S Baviskar yesterday, in response to an application by activist Santosh Daundkar who alleged that the participants used "vulgar, obscene and pornographic" language before an audience which had a large number of women.
Daundar's lawyer Aabha Singh said that the video of the show was also uploaded online and on social media.
The complaint also objected to the venue being used for entertainment show, in breach of Coastal Regulation Zone rules.
"The place was designated primarily for sports activities but... a commercial, vulgar, obscene and pornographic show comprising several Bollywood personalities was held at the SVP stadium at National Sports Club of India in Worli in South Mumbai on January 20," it said.
The complaint named Jayantilal Shah, president of NSCI; Ravinder Agrawal, secretary of NSCI; Bollywood celebrities Karan Johar, Ranveer Singh, Arjun Kapoor, Deepika Padukone and Alia Bhat. The 14 persons also include organisers of AIB Roast programme, film critic Rajeev Masand, and popular stand-up comedians like Rohan Joshi, Tanmay Bhatt, Gursimran Khamba, Ashish Shakya, and Aditi Mittal.
Daundkar sought registration of FIR under sections 294 (obscenity) and 509 (word, gesture, act intended to insult modesty of woman) of Indian Penal Code, as well as under the Bombay Police Act, the Environment Act and the Information Technology Act.
On Monday, the Bombay High Court had directed the government and I&B ministry to respond to a petition seeking action against organisers.
The FIR in Lucknow has been registered on a complaint filed by Lucknow-based activist, Kailash Chandra Pandey.
In his complaint, the activist has stated that the video has 'vulgar' content and goes 'against Indian culture'. A case under section 294 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) (for obscene acts or words in public) and section 66 of the IT Act (for sending offensive messages through communication service, etc.) has been filed.
The show was a comic 'roast', also called insult comedy, a format borrowed from the US. It attracted over four million views in less than four days on YouTube.
