Sedition case against 49 celebs closed

PATNA: The Bihar police have decided to close the sedition case against the 49 celebrities who wrote an open letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi in July, asking that mob killing of Muslims, Dalits and other minorities be stopped immediately. A case will also be filed against the complainant — Sudhir Ojha, an advocate — for filing frivolous complaints, the police said.

The sedition case against the celebrities — including actor and film-maker Aparna Sen, author Ramchandra Guha and film-maker Shyam Benegal — was filed last week, leading to considerable controversy.

On Wednesday, police spokesperson Jitendra Kumar said that the chief of the district police had termed the case "maliciously false" and recommended action against petitioner. The case was filed "just to garner publicity," he said.

"The SSP recommenced closure of the case and action against the complainant for filing a false case without any rhyme or reason," the officer said.