The Delhi high court has refused to allow the release of Hindi film
Masoom Kaatil, saying in a diverse, secular society, certification cannot be granted to a film that ridicules religions, incites hatred, or threatens social harmony.
The court said the film made it seem that taking the law into your own hands was something to be admired and celebrated, which cannot be allowed, as it "can damage people's trust in the legal system and suggest that using violence instead of following the law is acceptable".
Justice Manmeet Pritam Singh Arora on September 10, as a result, dismissed a plea challenging CBFC's refusal to allow the film to be released for public.
The judge said the report of the examining committee which refused the permission, showed the content of the film was "excessively/unnecessarily violent, gruesome in its portrayal without any redeeming factors and therefore, not fit for public exhibition".
"The exhibition of unchecked gore content as shown in the subject matter film is far from promoting social values and would instead brutalise minds and normalise lawlessness," the court said.
The protagonists in the film, the order said, take the law into their hands without impunity.
"If a film makes it seem that taking the law into your own hands is something to be admired and celebrated, it can damage people's trust in the legal system and suggest that using violence instead of following the law is acceptable." -- PTI
