New Delhi: In a significant ruling, the Supreme Court of India has dismissed criminal proceedings against filmmaker Sujoy Ghosh in a copyright case related to his film Kahani 2.
A bench comprising Justices Pamidighantam Sri Narasimha and Alok Aradhe set aside earlier orders that had allowed the case to proceed. This included the 2018 summoning order issued by a magistrate in Hazaribagh, as well as a subsequent decision by the Jharkhand High Court that had declined to intervene.
The dispute originated from allegations that the filmmaker had copied elements from a script titled “Sabak” without permission and incorporated them into his movie. However, the apex court found no sufficient grounds to continue the prosecution.
In its judgment, the court observed that the magistrate had failed to adequately examine the material before issuing the summons. It also held that there was no clear evidence to substantiate claims of copyright infringement.
As a result, the court ordered the complete closure of the complaint pending before the Chief Judicial Magistrate in Hazaribagh, bringing an end to the legal proceedings against Ghosh.
The ruling underscores the importance of careful judicial scrutiny at the initial stages of criminal cases, particularly in matters involving intellectual property disputes.
