Supreme Court Protects Leena Manimekalai From Arrest Over Goddess Kaali Poster

The Supreme Court on Friday granted protection from arrest to filmmaker Leena Manimekalai in connection with FIRs filed against her in four States over the poster for her documentary film, which depicted the goddess “Kaali” smoking a cigarette.

A bench of Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud and Justice PS Narasimha also issued notice to the states and instructed them not to take coercive action against the director based on any FIRs that have already been filed or that may be filed in connection with the “Kaali” poster controversy.

Manimekalai has filed the plea in top court seeking for protection and the dismissal of the multiple FIRs filed against her in various states. She has filed appeals in the district courts of Lucknow’s Hazratganj, Ratlam, Bhopal, and Indore in Madhya Pradesh, Haridwar in Uttarakhand, and Delhi.

The filmmaker has also requested that the criminal proceedings stemming from these FIRs be stayed.
Manimekalai has stated that her goal as a creative filmmaker was not to offend anyone’s religious sentiments, but rather to portray the image of a radically inclusive goddess. She also claimed that she received open threats against her, her crew, and her family after tweeting a poster for her film, Kaali.