In a major reprieve to producer-director Sanjay Gupta, the Bombay high court on Wednesday granted him anticipatory bail in an alleged cheating and forgery case.
While granting anticipatory bail to Gupta against Rs10,000, Justice AV Nirgude asked the police, “Where is your sense of humour?”
The judge has, however, directed Gupta to send an apology to the commissioner of police and withdraw the invitation from websites.
Gupta is facing criminal case for allegedly misusing the name of Mumbai Police Commissioner’s office and his letter head to promote his film Shootout at Wadala.
Gupta and Ekta Kapoor’s Balaji Motion Pictures are accused of forging letterhead of the city police commissioner in the invites for the press conference on the film.
Gupta had approached the high court after the sessions court rejected his anticipatory bail on March 5.
Seeking anticipatory bail, Gupta’s counsel Ashok Mundargi argued that the invitation was sent only to the media as part of promotions for the movie.
During the hearing, justice Nirgude asked, “It is an innovative invitation. Have you (police) lost your sense of humour? The accused have not issued the invitation with an intention to cause loss or cheat someone.”
The court even questioned the sessions court’s decision of rejecting Gupta’s anticipatory bail remarking that the sessions judge had also lost his sense of humour.
Although he granted reprieve to Gupta, Justice Nirgude asked the producer-director to apologise to the CP.
“As it is not in good taste you (Gupta) should apologise. You should not have used the Mumbai police seal and Ashoka emblem in the invitation,” remarked justice Nirgude.
Observing that the police showed “over enthusiasm” in registering the case against Gupta, Justice Nirgude said, “Prima facie no offence is made out. No one is cheated. At the most this can be construed as misleading. Like how people fool each other on April Fool’s day.”
–Agencies