Bombay High Court Clears Path for Release of Controversial Film On 2008 Malegaon Blasts, Rejects Lt. Colonel Purohit’s Plea
(Judicial Quest News Network)
In a significant legal development, the Bombay High Court on Wednesday rejected Lieutenant Colonel Prasad Purohit’s plea to stay the release of the movie Match Fixing: The Nation is at Stake, which is inspired by the 2008 Malegaon blasts. Purohit, one of the accused in the case, had argued that the film’s portrayal of the events surrounding the blast could harm his reputation and career, potentially influencing the ongoing trial.
The movie, which dramatizes the events of the Malegaon blast, has been the subject of controversy, with Purohit asserting that its release would violate a 2019 gag order issued by a special National Investigation Agency (NIA) court, which prohibited media coverage to maintain the integrity of the trial. Purohit’s legal team contended that the film could unfairly sway public opinion, especially as the trial is still underway.
However, the producers of the film, represented by advocate Aditya Iyer, countered that the gag order, which had been imposed before the trial began, applied only to media outlets and not to third-party filmmakers. They argued that the film, based on the fictional book The Game Behind Saffron Terror, included a clear disclaimer that it was a work of fiction and not based on real events. The producers further emphasized that they had taken care to ensure that the film was not intended to represent the actual Malegaon blast case.
Justice BP Colabawalla and Justice Somasekhar Sundaresan, who comprised the bench, dismissed Purohit’s petition, ruling that the film could be released as scheduled. The court also addressed Purohit’s concern that the movie’s portrayal could influence the trial, questioning whether the Indian judiciary would be swayed by a film, given its independence and reliance on evidence.
In a critical distinction, the court rejected comparisons to the 2004 Black Friday movie, which was temporarily withheld due to its portrayal of the 1993 Mumbai bombings during an ongoing trial. The bench noted that Black Friday was based on true events and a prosecution-driven narrative, while Match Fixing was a fictionalized account.
The court also dismissed a plea to ensure that the movie’s promotional material made clear that it was purely fictional, saying the film’s producers had already taken steps to clarify its fictional nature.
The Malegaon blast case, which occurred on September 29, 2008, claimed six lives and injured more than 100 in a bombing near a mosque, remains in progress. Purohit, BJP MP Pragya Singh Thakur along with five others, faces charges under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) and the Indian Penal Code (IPC) for their alleged role in the conspiracy behind the attack. The case was initially investigated by the Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) and later transferred to the NIA in 2011.
