Padmavat : Contempt petition against Karni Sena to be heard in SC

A bench comprising Chief Justice Dipak Mishra, Justices  A M Khanwilkar and Jutice D Y Chandrachud will also hear a separate petition filed by Congress activist  Tehseen Poonawalla and Supreme Court advocate Vineet Dhanda, seeking action against governments of Rajasthan, Haryana, Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh allegedly for not restraining mob violence against Sanjay Leela Bhansali's period film starring Deepika Padukone in the title role.

Both petitions will be taken up on Monday.

The contempt petition describes the destruction wrecked on public property, theatre premises and how suspected members of Karni Sena pelted stones at a school bus carrying children in Gurgaon, Haryana.

The top court had on January 18 cleared the decks for the release of 'Padmaavat' by striking down the ban imposed by four states - Gujarat, Rajasthan, Haryana and Madhya Pradesh - on the movie's screening. It also restrained other states from issuing similar orders.

The court had subsequently refused Rajasthan and MP governments’ applications to recall the January 18 order, saying a mob cannot take to the streets to choke free speech. The court had said that if the States capitulate to the mob now, they would make a “virtue out of creating trouble”.

The film was released on Thursday (January 25) in various theatres of the country.

Groups critical of the project have accused its director of distorting history by portraying a Muslim ruler as the "lover" of Queen Padmavati of the Hindu Rajput warrior clan. However, the  makers of the film have denied it.