On a day the Indian government came out with a set of guidelines, including those for content, for social media and OTT platforms, the Allahabad High Court yesterday rejected the anticipatory bail plea of Amazon Prime Video head for India Originals, Aparna Purohit, on the ground that usage of name `Tandav’ for webs series was offensive and hurt the sentiments of majority community.

While rejecting the bail plea of Purohit in a case filed in India’s northern State Uttar Pradesh, the court observed that the applicant (Purohit) had taken “all sorts of technical grounds that the offences alleged against her” were not made out and that her company has not been impleaded as an accused.

“However, the fact remains that the applicant had not been vigilant and has acted irresponsibly making her open to criminal prosecution in permitting streaming of a movie which is against the fundamental rights of the majority of citizens of this country and, therefore, her fundamental right of life and liberty cannot be protected by grant of anticipatory bail to her in the exercise of discretionary powers of this court,” the judge observed.

Pointing out that various conduct of the applicant highlighted she had “scant respect for the law of the land” that “further disentitles her to any relief”, the court said, “This anticipatory bail application is, accordingly, rejected”.