'Kaali' row: Leena Manimekalai moves SC to quash multiple FIRs

CHENNAI: Filmmaker Leena Manimekalai has filed a petition in the Supreme Court seeking protection and quashing of the multiple FIRs registered against her in various states over the poster of her documentary titled ‘Kaali’. The Supreme Court will hear Leena’s petition on January 20.

Leena, in her petition, filed before the SC said she had received many calls threatening her with murder, beheading, rape, etc after she tweeted the poster of her film, Goddess Kaali. She sought immediate and appropriate action against those who issued such threats on cyber space.

Seeking relief from the Supreme Court, Leena said that there were multiple FIRs registered against her in New Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Uttarakhand on various complaints against the same poster. “The poster showed Goddess Kaali smoking a cigarette and holding a pride flag,” she stated.

Leena has sought for immediate stay of the proceedings and quashing of the FIRs.

“It was not my intent to offend any religious sentiments or person or organisation. Being a filmmaker, I tried to depict the image of a radically inclusive goddess. The multiple FIRs amount to harassment and infringement of my constitutionally guaranteed fundamental right to freedom of expression,” Leena said in her petition.