Court cancels NBW against Varma in copyright violation case

A Maharashtra court cancelled the non-bailable warrant issued against filmmaker Ram Gopal Varma in a case of copyright violation after he appeared before it Thursday.

The court of Judicial Magistrate First Class Kailash Kurandre in Aurangabad adjourned the hearing in the case until September 20.

Varma sought exemption from appearance on the next hearing due to prior commitments. The court is yet to pass an order on his plea.

Siddiqui Mushtaq Muhsin had filed the case against Varma in 2011, claiming that the film "Agyaat", directed by Varma, produced by Ronnie Screwvala and released in August 2009, was based on a story written by him.

The court last year issued a non-bailable warrant against Varma and Screwvala in connection with the copyright violation case.

Varma appeared Thursday before the court seeking the cancellation of the NBW.

Screwvala has last year approached the district court in Aurangabad and got the NBW issued against him cancelled.

"Agyaat", a Bollywood film starring Nithiin, Gautam Rode and Priyanka Kothari, was released in August 2009. It was dubbed and released simultaneously in Telugu.

Muhsin had claimed in his petition that he wrote a story and sent it to Varma in 1998 through post but received no reply.

"In 2009, when the film 'Agyaat' was released, I was shocked to see that it was based on my story," he said.

Muhsin also claimed that he had registered the story with the Film Writers Association.