The High Court of Karnataka has stayed further proceedings based on the First Information Report (FIR) registered against Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi, Jairam Ramesh, and Supriya Shrinate for allegedly illegally using songs of film KGF Chapter 2 to promote the party’s Bharat Jodo Yatra on social media platforms.
A Bench of Justice S. Sunil Dutt Yadav passed the interim order on December 16, Friday, on the petition filed by the three leaders questioning the legality of the FIR registered on November 4, 2022, on the complaint lodged by M/s MRT Music, which holds copyright for the film’s songs.
Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi, Jairam Ramesh, and Supriya Shrinate had illegally used songs of film KGF Chapter 2 to promote the party’s Bharat Jodo Yatra in October on social media platforms. | Photo Credit: File photo
Civil in nature
It has been claimed in the petition that the allegations levelled against the party leaders are civil in nature, and does not contain ingredients for constituting criminal offences. The petitioners have also contended that the complainant on November 2, 2022, had initiated a civil suit against the three leaders before a commercial court on the same allegations.
“The allegations made in the complaint are prima facie malicious, misconceived, politically motivated, and to dodge to extract money from the petitioners who hold high positions in the Indian National Congress party,” it has been alleged in the petition.
What complaint said
In its complaint lodged before the Yeshwantpur police, MRT Music had alleged that popular songs and audio clips of the film were illegally used to promote Mr. Gandhi as hero and a mass leader. The FIR was registered under the provisions of the Copyrights Act, the Indian Penal Code, and the Information Technology Act.
It has also been alleged in the complaint that the leaders have used the party’s logo on the videos uploaded on social media along with the film’s songs, thereby falsely portraying that they own the contents, including the songs of the film.
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