71-year-old to stand trial for importing obscene material
FIR had been lodged against book distributor in 1995.
After withdrawing his application seeking quashing of an FIR of 1995, a septuagenarian will finally face trial in an obscenity case.
Harkishan Chatlani, 71, chairman and managing director of the India Book Distributors (Bombay) Limited was booked by the social services branch of the Mumbai police in July 1995 under Sections 292 (2) (c) (selling, importing or circulating obscene material), Section 153A (promoting enmity between different groups on the grounds of religion) of the IPC and sections of the Indecent Representation of Women Act, 1986.
The FIR was filed by the police on July 20, 1995 after receiving information from ‘discreet sources’.
Chatlani was booked for importing the magazine titled American Photo. In the July-August edition of the magazine in 1995, a centrespread of pictures of a nude man and woman, smoking a cigarette while their private parts were covered by lotus leaves, was printed. The man’s head was that of an elephant and section 153A was applied by the police as it resembled a Hindu deity.
As Chatlani braces himself for the trial before the additional chief metropolitan magistrate MJ Mirza, the next date for which is April 16, his lawyer Ashish Chavan said his involvement in the alleged offence is only that of a ‘delivery boy’.
Chavan said there was no complaint made by any of the subscribers of the magazine and only seven or eight copies were circulated to the subscribers.
The charge sheet was filed in 2002. Chatlani had sought discharge before a magistrate and then before a sessions court. Although he was not discharged, the Sessions court dropped the charge under Section 153A.
In March this year, Chatlani withdrew his application seeking quashing of the FIR.
“There are eight to nine witnesses to be examined. The court has assured that the trial will be concluded by the month-end,” Chavan said.