The Bombay high court on June 2 refused to direct OTT platform Netflix to take down its web series Scoop, thereby giving no interim relief to jailed underworld gangster Chhota Rajan. The series, directed by Hansal Mehta, was released the same day. “They have published it. We’ll see on the next date,” said Justice Shivkumar Dighe when senior advocate Mihir Desai, for Rajendra Nikalje alias Chhota Rajan, urged that the series be pulled down.
Scoop is based on the book, ‘Behind Bars In Byculla: My Days In Prison’ by former journalist Jigna Vora who was acquitted in the 2011 killing of fellow crime reporter J. Dey. Rajan and nine others were convicted in the case.
Chhota Rajan moved the high court to stay the release of the web series on the ground that it infringed his personality and image rights on which, he said, he had copyright. “The basic issue is that everybody else’s name and image are changed except mine. My image is shown as if I carried out the murder. It is true, I have been convicted, and my appeal is pending… Can you show me as guilty to the whole world in this manner?” he asked. He added, “Lakhs of people will be watching. It will create a lot of problems for me.”
On behalf of Netflix, it was argued that Rajan’s conviction and the judgement are in the public domain and can be referred to in books, newspapers and in the web series.
Justice Dighe posted the hearing for June 7, allowing Chhota Rajan’s suit to be amended and the defendants to file their replies.