SC relief for Amazon Prime Video head in Tandav case

The Supreme Court on Friday granted protection from arrest to Amazon Prime Video’s head of India originals Aparna Purohit in FIRs lodged over the platform’s crime thriller Tandav.

The court said the Centre’s guidelines on regulating digital media do not have any provision to penalize platforms sho-wing inappropriate content.

A bench comprising justices Ashok Bhushan and R.S. Reddy issued notice to the Uttar Pradesh government on Purohit’s anticipatory-bail plea on FIRs in connection with the show.

Last week, a single-judge bench of the Allahabad high court had rejected Purohit’s plea on a UP Police FIR in Noida over alleged anti-Hindu content in the web series.

Earlier this week, Amazon Prime Video tendered a formal apology for the controversial content in Tandav.

Solicitor general Tushar Mehta, appearing for the Centre, said the government will consider appropriate steps and any regulation or legislation on the guidelines will be placed before the court. The apex court also directed Purohit to make Centre a party to her plea.

“It appears the solicitor general has agreed to submit a better draft of the guidelines and the court has indicated that the rules will also be considered in the instant matter. The government may be directed to amend these rules," Chandrima Mitra, partner at DSK Legal said. Possible penalties, though, could deal a blow to foreign and Indian video streaming platforms and content creators, already upset about the new guidelines mandating a third layer of complaint redressal.