On Monday, the Delhi High Court instructed authorities to file a first information report (FIR) against the web series titled College Romance. The court described the language used in the TVF show as 'obscene, profane and vulgar'. According to reports, a single-judge bench of Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma upheld the earlier order in the case against the makers of the web series. An Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate (ACMM) had directed the Delhi police to register an FIR against director Simarpreet Singh and actor Apoorva Arora.

According to reports, the court observed that the content of the series could “lead a common man to the conclusion that the language used in the web series is foul and profane which can affect and corrupt impressionable minds.” Justice Sharma reportedly stated, “Therefore, on the basis of this finding it can be held that the content of the web series will certainly attract the criminality as envisaged under Section 67 (publishing or transmitting, in the electronic form, any material which is lascivious) of the Information Technology Act."

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As per reports, An Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate (ACMM) had instructed the Delhi police to register an FIR against College Romance under several sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), and Sections 67 and 67A (punishment for publishing or transmitting of material containing sexually explicit act) of the IT Act. However, in November 2020, an additional sessions judge modified the ACMM’s order, noting that the FIR should be filed only under Section 67A of the IT Act. The latest ruling on Monday, March 6, upheld the ACMM’s September 2019 order.

On Monday, Justice Sharma observed that, "in the name of individual freedom such language cannot be permitted to be served to the general public and be represented to the world at large as if this is the language that this country and youth in educational institutions speaks."

“The language which is being today called normal college culture and lifestyle is bound to percolate to school going children since it is unclassified and tomorrow may be called normal school culture, since the new generation will learn from the older generation. It will be a sad day for society in case the same vulgar and obscene language is spoken in schools, streets and houses in the name of new culture of the students,” Justice Sharma added.

She told the court that she had to watch the show wearing headphones as the “profanity of language used was such that it could not have been heard without shocking or alarming the people around." "The court had to watch the episodes with the aid of earphones, in the chamber, as the profanity of language used was of the extent that it could not have been heard without shocking or alarming the people around and keeping in mind the decorum of language which is maintained by a common prudent man whether in professional or public domain or even with family members at home. Most certainly, this Court notes that this is not the language that nation’s youth or otherwise citizens of this country use, and this language cannot be called the frequently spoken language used in our country," Justice Sharma said.

A leading daily's report also stated that the male protagonist of College Romance "uses words describing male and female genitalia and sexual act, thus by words, painting pictures of a sexually explicit act which brings it under the ambit of arousing prurient feelings by so doing."

The makers of College Romance are yet to react. 

(Source: Indian Express/Bar And Bench)