Film director A.R. Murugadoss on Wednesday refused to apologise for having criticised government freebies in his Vijay-starrer Sarkar as quid pro quo for the Chennai city police to refrain from registering a first information report (FIR) against him on the basis of a complaint of sedition lodged by an advocate clerk.
The film director’s counsel told Justice G.K. Ilanthiraiyan that his client was not willing to apologise since it would be anathema to his fundamental right to freedom of speech and expression. The submission was made during the hearing of an anticipatory bail petition filed by him after the movie’s release early this month.
Case adjourned
The court had already restrained the police from arresting the petitioner until further orders since it was reported that the police were yet to register an FIR, though the clerk, G. Devarajan, had lodged a complaint accusing the director of having committed an offence punishable under Section 124A of the Indian Penal Code. On Wednesday, the judge granted the police two more week’s time to decide as to whether any cognisable offence had been made out. In the meantime, the interim protection from arrest shall be in vogue, he said and adjourned the case to December 13.
When the complainant contended that the film director had instigated people to protest against the State, the judge said: “It is just a movie. Cinema should be seen as cinema.”
