Jharkhand HC quashes summons against Govinda, Shilpa Shetty

The Jharkhand High Court has quashed the summons issued by a lower court against actors Govinda and Shilpa Shetty in connection with a song of a film, in which they had acted.

The bench of Justice A K Gupta on Thursday set aside the summons issued by a Pakur court, accepting the contention of the defense counsel.

The defense counsel, Abhay Mishra, told the high court bench that films are shown as per Cinematograph Act, 1952.

Censor Board gives certificate and licence to show films and after a film is released, it does not come under the purview of Indian Penal Code, Mishra said.

Therefore, the summons should be quashed, Mishra argued.

One M M Tiwari had lodged a complaint with the lower court claiming the image of Bihar had been tarnished following the song.

The complaint was filed soon after the release of the film, 'Chhote Sarkar', in 1996, claiming that the two actors synced their lips in a duet '...badle mein UP-Bihar le le' which tarnished the image of Bihar.

Jharkhand was carved out of Bihar in 2000.