Delhi Police was today directed by a court here to respond to a plea challenging a cancellation report in a case lodged against actor Kamaal Rashid Khan for allegedly making casteist and defamatory remarks on the lead actor of Hindi film Raanjhanaa.
Metropolitan Magistrate Pranjel Aneja sought the police’s response on the protest petition by October 28, the next date of hearing.
An FIR was registered against Khan under Section 66A (Punishment for sending offensive messages through communication service, etc) of the IT Act and the Protection of Civil Rights Act at Seemapuri Police Station in north east Delhi in August 2013.
The police, however, filed a cancellation report in September 2014, saying neither Khan nor the actor against whom the alleged remarks were made reside under the jurisdiction of this police station.
It had also said that even the alleged derogatory remarks were not uploaded on YouTube under the jurisdiction of Seemapuri Police Station where no offence was committed.
The protest petition in the court challenging police’s cancellation report was filed by a Delhi resident.
Earlier, the FIR was lodged on the complaint of the same person who had alleged that Khan made casteist remarks against an actor in his review of Raanjhanaa movie posted on the popular video sharing web site.
A similar complaint has also been filed by advocate Satya Prakash Gautam in the court.
The police had said the 8.52 minute video was uploaded on YouTube on July 29, 2013.
According to the complainant, the plea was filed after they sent an e-mail regarding the issue to the then Police Commissioner B S Bassi who had later directed the cops to take necessary action in the case.
( Source – PTI )
