Harish Salve Files Complaint After Threats Over ‘Padmaavat’

The caller threatened to physically harm lawyer Harish Salve reports said.

The caller threatened to physically harm lawyer Harish Salve.

(Photo: ANI)

The Delhi Police, on Friday, 19 January, registered a case following a complaint filed by senior lawyer Harish Salve, who was allegedly threatened for representing one of the respondents connected to the controversial Bollywood film "Padmaavat" in the Supreme Court.

The court had dismissed a petition seeking the deletion of certain alleged objectionable scenes from Sanjay Leela Bansali's film, calling it premature. Salve represented one of the respondents in the apex court.

He had received a phone call on his office land line and was allegedly threatened for speaking in favour of the film, the police said.

The police said that they have registered an FIR and the matter was being probed.

The caller threatened to physically harm the lawyer and they claimed to be members of Karni Sena, the group which has led the protests against 'Padmaavat', according to a report on NDTV.

Security has been increased at Salve's Delhi office, the report said.

However, the Karni Sena has denied threatening the lawyer. Speaking to NDTV, Karni Sena founder Lokendra Kalvi said:

"To blame Karni Sena for everything is wrong."

After it was banned by states like Rajasthan, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh and Haryana despite clearance from the CBFC with an U/A certificate and modifications, the producers of the Deepika Padukone-Shahid Kapoor-Ranveer Singh-starrer had moved Supreme Court against the orders on Wednesday, 17 January.

The Supreme Court had stayed the notification by the states banning Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s film. The apex court had given a green signal to the film’s release on Thursday, 18 January.

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