Wed Dec 24 07:13:08 UTC 2025: News Article:

Bombay High Court Quashes 12-Year-Old FIR Against TV Executives in Caste Slur Case

Thane, Maharashtra – December 24, 2025: The Bombay High Court has dismissed a 12-year-old First Information Report (FIR) against programming heads and media executives of a Marathi television channel, “Star Pravah,” related to an alleged offensive dialogue in a serial, “Laxmi versus Saraswati.” The court ruled that the executives were not involved in creating the dialogue.

The FIR was filed in 2013 following a complaint regarding an episode aired in 2012, where a character purportedly used language insulting to the Scheduled Caste Mahar community. Complainant Rahul Gaikwad alleged that the words “mahara-poranchi” were intentionally used to humiliate the community.

However, Justice Manish Pitale and Justice Manjusha Deshpande emphasized that strict scrutiny is required when prosecuting offences under the Atrocities Act. The court noted that the FIR failed to establish that the accused individuals, who were Programming Head of ‘Star Pravah’ and Star Entertainment Media Pvt. Ltd., were not members of a Scheduled Caste or Tribe, a crucial requirement for charges under the Act.

Furthermore, the court stated that the channel displayed a disclaimer stating they did not endorse the views expressed in the serial, which supported their defence.
The court also recognized that the petitioners had no direct role in crafting the dialogue, deeming it an “impromptu” utterance by an actor and that Star Entertainment company had absolutely no role in finalising the dialogues.
The dismissal brings an end to a long-standing legal battle for the media executives.

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