Court to rule on jurisdiction to try suit against Godse’s film

A Pune Civil Court on Friday said it would give a ruling on Dec 29 whether it had jurisdiction to hear a suit against Akhil Bhartiya Hindu Mahasabha seeking a ban on its forthcoming film ‘Desh Bhakt Nathuram Godse’, slated for release this month-end.

The suit filed by activist Hemant Patil alleges that Mahasabha general secretary Munna Kumar Sharma had said in a section of media that “the film would show that Nathuram Godse, the assassin of Mahatma Gandhi, was a patriot while Gandhi was anti-Hindu.” Civil Judge M I Modak said the court would first decide on its jurisdiction to hear the suit and asked the plaintiff to argue on this aspect. The plaintiff’s lawyer Wajid Khan cited case laws to support his argument that the Pune Court had the jurisdiction to hear the matter. After hearing arguments, the court posted the matter for December 29 to deliver its ruling on the issue of jurisdiction to hear the suit. According to the suit, the film was being released on the same day when Godse had gunned down Mahatma Gandhi in 1948. “As the film has the potential to incite people on communal lines,” the petition has prayed for a ban on its release.