Ranveer Singh's bold photoshoot: PIL in HC seeks forfeiture of magazine's printed copies

Actor Ranveer Singh’s bold photo shoot received support from all across the globe with even celebrities posting on their social media handles about the same. However, the photoshoot that took the Internet by storm, did not really go well with some as it landed the actor into legal trouble. 

Now, amid all slugfest, a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) has been filed in the Calcutta High Court seeking directives to the West Bengal government and the authorities concerned to forfeit all printed copies of the current issue of Paper Magazine which was published on July 23 where Ranveer Singh posed nude for the cover. 

PIL filed against Ranveer Singh in HC

According to Live Law, the plea has been moved by Nazia Ilahi Khan who alleged that the Gully Boy star's picture on the Magazine's cover page is nothing but obscene as per the opinion of the public at large. The plea also seeks to block the magazine’s website within the West Bengal state. The petitioner has submitted that the picture of Ranveer Singh would “deprave the mind of the public at large in West Bengal, especially of minors” and therefore the circulation of the magazine in question needs to be stopped immediately.

Earlier, the petitioner had moved a representation before respondents numbers 1 to 3 [State of West Bengal, Principal Secretary, Dept of Information and cultural affairs ane Electronics and Secretary, Dept of Information and cultural affairs and Electronics] for blocking the access of the public, particularly in the State of West Bengal to the website of the Magazine.

Meanwhile, it is pertinent to note that Ranveer is already facing an FIR in Maharashtra for posing and publishing his 'nude' photoshoot pictures on various social media portals. The FIR has been lodged under Sections 292, 293, and 509 of the Indian Penal Code, 1860, and Section 67A of the Information Technology Act, 2000.

Earlier, the Jayeshbhai Jordaar star was offered another project to flaunt his physique. PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) had sent a written invitation to Singh asking if he would like to pose nude for a campaign in order to promote veganism. As per Bollywood Hungama, the letter addressed to Ranveer Singh read, "We saw your head-turning Paper Magazine photo shoot and we hope you’ll ditch the pants for us, too. To promote compassion for animals, will you consider appearing in a nude PETA India advertisement with the tagline “All Animals Have the Same Parts Try Vegan”? I’ve attached a reference image featuring Pamela Anderson for your perusal."

IMAGE: Instagram/RanveerSingh