Supreme Court Upholds Freedom Of Expression, Dismisses Petition To Ban Malayalam Novel Meesha

The Supreme Court bench headed by Chief Justice Deepak Mishra has rejected a plea seeking a ban on Malayalam novel Meeha, for allegedly portraying Hindu women and temple priests in a bad light.

Dismissing the petition, the apex court said "book should not be read in a fragmented manner.? It has to be read as a whole."?

BCCL

The bench of Chief Justice Dipak Misra and Justices AM Khanwilkar and DY Chandrachud, who noted that "The writers possess the freedom to express their views and imagination and readers too enjoy the freedom to perceive and imagine from their own? viewpoint."

The petitioner N Radhakrishnan had sought the banning of the book by S Hareesh claiming that the novel portrayed Hindu women and temple priests in a bad light.?

BCCL

The novel which was initially published in a weekly for three chapters ran into controversy over the conversation between two characters.?

One of the two characters while discussing the reason for young women dressing their best when going to temples implied that they are "unconsciously declaring that they are willing for an intimate relationship" and the priests, he adds, are "masters in this matter".

After the controversy, Harish announced that he was withdrawing the novel from the magazine as he was getting threats to his life. It was, however, published as a book by a leading Malayalam publishing house.??

BCCL

The petitioner had also sought a ban on the circulation of the novel by internet or propagation of the dialogue between two characters in the novel, which he claimed insults Hindu women. He had also prayed for a ban on further publication of the novel.

Earlier, both the counsels of the central and state governments had in the court opposed the plea to ban the book.