Court wants police to take a close look at horror ads

NEW DELHI, April 20: After asking the police commissioner to look into various `sex phone services’ on April 6, Metropolitan Magistrate Rajesh Aggarwal now wants the police to find out how and why advertisements for horror shows on television are shown between regular entertainment programmes like Close-Up Antakshari.

The judge said that horror shows like Saturday Suspense, Woh and Anhoni are “obviously not meant for small children.” While agreeing that parents can prevent their children from watching these shows, the judge said that advertisements for horror serials are shown between other programmes and this “… creates direct impact and proximity in the minds of children, which is detrimental to their mental health. Since the advertisement so made is in the regular course of normal entertaining programmes, the parents cannot have any control so as to ensure the prevention of its communication to their children.”

The judge has directed the commissioner to find out if there is any way to control such advertisements; if this is in violation of the Cinematographic Act; if any license is needed to show such ads; if any offence has been cmomitted, cognizance of which can be taken by the court under Section 190 of the Code of Criminal Procedure.

The commissioner has to file his report on or before May 2. The judge has also directed that a copy of the order be sent to the director of Zee Television Network Pvt Ltd.