A Division Bench of the Supreme Court of India comprising of Justices K.G. Balakrishnan and Mukundakam Sharma had stayed until further orders all the proceedings against the Kollywood Actress and T.V. Compere, Mrs.Kushboo who is facing criminal charges in about 24 cases for her utterances on matters relating to Sex.
The cultural puritans of Tamil Nadu had filed a plethora of cases in various lower courts in Tamil Nadu contending that her comments published in a Magazine in 2005 and a daily subsequently had defamed Tamil Culture, insulted Tamil Woman and brought disrepute to India. She had earlier approached the Madras High Court seeking to quash the complaints against her which was rejected by the said Court which further had directed the cases should be tried before the Chief Metropolitan Magistrate, Chennai. The only relief the Court had granted was the direction to club all the 24 cases together in order to avoid scattered trial.
Being aggrieved by the above Order, the Actress had approached the Supreme Court with this Special Leave Petition. In her petition, she had submitted that she is a famous South Indian Actress, a Mother of two young children and the complaints have been filed against her with the sole of objective of harassing her at the behest of some people inimical to her. Her comments were in the nature of bona fide expression of opinions and if these complaints were allowed it would curtail her fundamental rights of freedom of speech and expression.
The Supreme Court while allowing her special leave petition and staying the proceedings, directed issuance of notices to those who had filed the 24 cases against her.
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