The Supreme Court granted anticipatory bail to Amazon Prime Video's India head Aparna Purohit in the FIRs lodged over the web series "Tandav".
A bench of Justices Sanjiv Khanna and M. M. Sundresh granted the relief after noting that Ms. Purohit had been cooperating with the investigation.
"In view of the statement made, we confirm the interim order and direct that in the event of the appellant Aparna Purohit being arrested, she shall be released on bail by the arresting officer/trial court on terms and conditions to be fixed by the trial court," it said.
The top court had earlier on March 5, 2021, granted interim protection from arrest to Ms. Purohit.
She had been accused of inappropriate depiction of the Uttar Pradesh police personnel, the Hindu deities, and also for an adverse portrayal of a character playing the Prime Minister in the web series.
Earlier, the apex court, on January 27, 2021, had declined to grant interim protection from any coercive action to Ali Abbas Zafar, director of the web series; Ms. Purohit; producer Himanshu Mehra; the show's writer Gaurav Solanki and actor Mohammed Zeeshan Ayyub. It had said they may seek bail from the courts concerned in the FIRs lodged in connection with the web series.
Ms. Purohit appealed to the top court against the Allahabad High Court's order declining anticipatory bail to her saying she had not been vigilant, and had acted irresponsibly, making her open to criminal prosecution in permitting the streaming of a movie which was against the fundamental rights of the majority of the citizens of this country.
On January 19, 2021, an FIR was lodged on the complaint of Balbir Azad of Raunija village under Rabupura police station of Greater Noida.
