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The police have booked at least six people, including the head of the Lalit Kala Kendra of Savitribai Phule Pune University (SPPU), in connection with an allegedly objectionable student play portraying the characters of Lord Ram, Sita and Ravan.
Harshwardhan Harpude, 22, chief of the Pune unit of the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), lodged the first information report (FIR) in this regard at Chaturshringi police station early on Saturday.
Those booked include head of the Lalit Kala Kendra Dr Pravin Dattatraya Bhole, writer of the play Bhavesh Patil, director Jay Pedhnekar and actors Prathamesh Savant, Hrushikesh Dalvi, Yash Chikhale and others under sections 295 A (insulting religious beliefs), 294 (obscene acts and songs), 143 (unlawful assembly), 147 (rioting), 149, 323 (voluntarily causing hurt), 116, 117 (abetting commission of offence) of the Indian Penal Code and sections of the Cigarettes and other Tobacco Products Act (COTPA), 2003.
The FIR mentions that Harpude and his friends went to the open theatre at the Lalit Kala Kendra on the SPPU premises on Friday evening to watch student plays. One of the plays, titled ‘Jab We Met’, allegedly had objectionable and abusive words and comments by the actors. It was also alleged that an actor playing the role of Sita was smoking on the stage during the play.
Besides stating that the play hurt the sentiments of Hindus, it was alleged that when the complainant and his friends raised objections, they were manhandled and thrashed by the actors and students of the Lalit Kala Kendra.
The police said some of the accused were detained for investigation. Meanwhile, purported videos of the play have gone viral on social media.
