From Show to Courtroom: The "Latent" Legal Saga.
18 February 2025
Information Technology Act >> Intellectual Property Rights
A court has granted interim protection to a petitioner facing multiple First Information Reports (FIRs) related to an episode of the show "India's Got Latent." The matter is returnable on March 3, 2025.
The petitioner is shielded from arrest in two specific FIRs. The first, FIR No. 5 of 2025, was registered in Thane, Maharashtra, under sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and the Information Technology Act. The second, FIR No. 3 of 2025, was filed in Guwahati, Assam, under sections of the BNS, the Cinematograph Act, and the Indecent Representation of Women (Prohibition) Act.
This interim protection is contingent upon the petitioner's full cooperation with the ongoing investigation. Crucially, the petitioner must appear for questioning when summoned by the Investigating Officer(s) and is not permitted to have legal counsel present during these sessions.
The court's directives extend beyond these two FIRs. If any other FIRs based on the same allegations have been filed in Jaipur, Rajasthan, the petitioner's arrest is also stayed in those cases. Furthermore, no additional FIRs can be filed against the petitioner concerning the "India's Got Latent" episode that prompted the existing complaints.
To ensure the petitioner's safety and ability to participate in the investigation, the court has granted permission for him to seek police protection in Maharashtra and Assam should he feel threatened.
The court has also imposed certain restrictions on the petitioner. He is required to deposit his passport with the Investigating Officer at the Nodal Cyber Police Station in Thane and cannot leave the country without prior permission from the court. Additionally, the petitioner and his associates are prohibited from airing any shows on YouTube or any other audio/video platform until further notice.
Information Technology Act, 2000
INDECENT REPRESENTATION OF WOMEN (PROHIBITION) ACT, 1986