New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Thursday expressed concern over objectionable content being shown on the OTT (over the top) platform. The Supreme Court said that ‘screening is required on OTT platforms. Sometimes pornography is also shown on this platform. The Supreme Court said that it will see the regulation of the Center on it. The court will hold the next hearing in this case on Friday.
The observation was made by the top court during the hearing of a plea by Amazon Prime Video India head Aparna Purohit against Allahabad High Court order, which declined to entertain her anticipatory bail in connection with the FIRs lodged against her over the web series ‘Tandav’.
A bench headed by Justice Ashok Bhushan said: “There should be some screening (of content on web platforms). There is pornography in some films.”
Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, representing the Uttar Pradesh government, said some programs have filthy abuses.
Senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi, appearing for Purohit, contended this “as a matter of free speech” and cited that his client is not the producer of the show, instead an employee of the company which is streaming the web series Tandav.
Justice Bhushan replied that a balance needs to be struck in such matters and reiterated there should be some screening by somebody.
The top court indicated that there should be a body like censor board which screens the films.
A counsel in the matter informed the top court that the government has recently notified OTT guidelines. The top court scheduled the matter for further hearing on Friday.
In January, the top court refused to grant interim protection to Tandav crew from any coercive action and had asked them to move the concerned courts to seek bail in the matter.
Purohit has been accused of inappropriate depiction of Hindu deities, Uttar Pradesh Police personnel and for adverse portrayal of a character in the role of prime minister in the web series.