STAR INTERTAINMENT MEDIA PVT LTD. AND ANR vs THE STATE OF MAHARASHTRA AND ANR

Judgment text excerpt

bipin prithiani 1 wp-4546.13 & anr.doc IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT BOMBAY CRIMINAL APPELLATE JURISDICTION WRIT PETITION NO. 4546 OF 2013 Shrabani Deodhar … Petitioner Versus The State of Maharashtra & Ors. … Respondents WITH WRIT PETITION NO. 4547 OF 2013 Star Entertainment Media Pvt. Ltd. & Anr. … Petitioners Versus The State of Maharashtra & Ors. … Respondents ****** Mr. Satish Mane-Shinde, Senior Advocate, a/w Ms. Sulabha V. Rane and Mr. Nikhil Mane-Shinde for Petitioner in WP/4546/ 2013. Mr. Sanjog Parab, Senior Advocate, a/w Mr. Mohan Rao, Ms. Sakshi Baadkar and Mr. Sangram Parab for Petitioner in WP/4547/ 2013. Ms. Sharmila Kaushik, APP for Respondent Nos.1 and 2-State in both Petitions. Mr. Milind A. Ingole a/w Ms. Aishwarya Gaikwad and Ms. Manisha Bansode for Respondent No.3-Complainant in both Petitions. ****** CORAM : MANISH PITALE AND MANJUSHA DESHPANDE, JJ. DATE : 23rd DECEMBER 2025 JUDGMENT (Per Manish Pitale, J.) : . By these petitions, the petitioners have prayed for quashing of FIR No. 232 of 2023 registered at Wada Police Station, Dist. bipin prithiani 2 wp-4546.13 & anr.doc Thane, for offences under Section 295A of the Indian Penal Code, 1860 (hereinafter referred to as ‘IPC’ for short), Section 7(g) of the Protection of Civil Rights Act, 1955 (hereinafter referred to as ‘PCR Act’ for short) and Section 3 of the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989 (hereinafter referred to as ‘Atrocities Act’ for short). 2. The petitioner in Writ Petition No. 4546 of 2013 was the Programming Head for a Marathi Channel, ‘Star Pravah’ owned by the Star Entertainment Media Private Limited (hereinafter referred to as ‘SEMPL’ for short). The petitioners in Writ Petition No. 4547 of 2013 are the SEMPL and the Executive Produce