The Allahabad high court on 29th January stayed the arrest of Farhan Akhtar and Ritesh Sidhwani, producers of web series Mirzapur, after an FIR was registered against them for allegedly hurting religious, social and regional sentiments through their indecent and improper portrayal of the Eastern U.P. town of Mirzapur.
Hearing a writ petition filed by Akhtar and Sidhwani, a division bench of Justices Manoj Kumar Gupta and Subhash Chand issued a notice to the state government and the complainants, seeking their replies. The next hearing will be held in the first week of March. Farhan Akhtar and Ritesh Sidhwani moved the HC after an FIR was registered against them in Kotwali Dehat, Mirzapur, under IPC sections 295A (deliberate and malicious acts intended to outrage religious feelings of any class by insulting religious beliefs), and 504 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of peace) and under section 67-A of the Information Technology Act.