Obscenity case: SC stays proceedings against Mallika Sherawat

The Supreme Court today stayed a Vadodara court's order summoning Bollywood actress Mallika Sherawat in a complaint filed against her for an alleged "obscene" and "provocative" dance performance in a hotel which was telecast by various TV channels about seven years ago.
A bench headed by Justice B S Chauhan passed the order on Sherawat's plea who approached the apex court after the Gujarat High Court refused to grant any relief to her.
On March 2 this year, the high court had rejected Sherawat's plea for quashing summons issued against her by a local court in 2007 based on a criminal complaint filed by Narendra Tiwari, an advocate and former president of Baroda Bar Association (BBA).

Meanwhile, on July 8, the trial court in Vadodara had issued a bailable warrant against Sherawat in the case and asked her to be present before it on August 19.
Tiwari had filed the complaint on January 12, 2007 under various provisions of IPC, including sections 294 (obscene songs) and 114 (abetment of any offence).
He had approached the court after Sherawat's dance performance in a five-star hotel in Mumbai on December 31, 2006 was aired by various television channels.
The lawyer had contended the actor's dance was obscene and provocative and had claimed that a spectator in the hotel had tried to stop the dance by climbing on the stage, but he was allegedly ridiculed by the organisers.