[Tandav Row] UP court allows Amazon Prime Video head Aparna Purohit to travel abroad

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Amazon Prime Video's India head Aparna Purohit, who is facing a criminal case for allegedly depicting Hindu gods in a bad light in the web series 'Tandav', was last week granted permission by the Court of Special Chief Judicial Magistrate (Custom) Lucknow to travel abroad.

In compliance with Allahabad High Court's last year's order in Purohit's anticipatory bail plea wherein she was asked to not leave the country without the permission of a competent court, she had moved the Lucknow Court with her application. Purohit had sought permission to go to Dubai to visit her unwell parents.

Hearing her plea, the Spl. CJM (Custom) Sunil Kumar allowed her to travel Dubai with a condition that she will abide by all the conditions put up by the Allahabad High Court. The court also asked her to give an undertaking before the Court that she shall co-operate in the investigation of the case and that she won't misuse the liberty granted by the Court.

Purohit had been booked for alleged commission of offences under Sections 153-A (Promoting enmity between different groups), 295 (Defiling place of worship with intent to insult the religion), 505(1)(b) (Public mischief), 505(2) (Statements promoting hatred between classes), 469 (Forgery for purpose of harming reputation) of Indian Penal Code and Sections 66 (Computer related offences), 66F (Punishment for cyber terrorism) and 67 (Transmitting obscene material)  of the Information Technology Act, 2008 (as amended) apart from .

The Allahabad High Court in its order had stated that "the accused-applicant (Purohit) is directed to fully cooperate in the ongoing investigation. The accused-applicant will not leave the country without prior permission of the competent Court." In pursuance of high court's this direction, Purohit had moved her plea before the Lucknow special court. 

Makers of the show, which had aired on Amazon Prime in January 2021, are facing criminal cases all across the country. A petition had also been filed in the Top Court last year seeking quashing of FIR's across India, filed against makers and actors of the web series on account of hurting religious sentiments.