Why did Ekta receive arrest warrant over 2020 webshow 'XXX'?
Troubles for producer Ekta Kapoor in relation to a web series titled XXX that she had produced don't seem to cease. Reportedly, Kapoor and her mother Shobha Kapoor were issued arrest warrants by a local court in Bihar's Begusarai on Wednesday. They have been accused of insulting Indian Army soldiers and their families through the second season of the show that aired in 2020.
Why does this story matter?
This is hardly the first time that the television czarina has courted problems because of the XXX (2018-2020) series. Back in June 2020, ex-Bigg Boss contestant Hindustani Bhau aka Vikas Pathak filed a police complaint, alleging the Kapoors were "targeting our Indian military, their uniform and defaming its national emblem." Soon thereafter, several ex-army personnel and Martyrs Welfare Foundation members also filed an FIR.
Warrants issued for failing to appear in court: Lawyer
According to reports, Shambhu Kumar, an ex-serviceman and a Begusarai resident, had filed the complaint, based on which judge Vikas Kumar issued the warrants. The plaint—filed in 2020—alleged that one episode in XXX 2 had several objectionable scenes pertaining to a soldier's wife. Shambhu's lawyer Hrishikesh Pathak noted the warrants were issued as the Kapoors didn't appear before the court, despite receiving the summons.
Show in question aired on AltBalaji in 2020
"The court had issued summons to them [Kapoors] and asked them to appear before it in connection with the matter," Pathak said. However, the Kapoors "informed the court that certain scenes in the series were removed after the objection. But they didn't appear before the court following which the warrant was issued." Pathak noted the show aired on Kapoors' Balaji Telefilms Ltd.-owned AltBalaji platform.
What exactly caused such uproar?
The objections are around the first episode of the erotic show's second season, titled Pyaar Aur Plastic. It showcases a woman indulging in an extramarital affair, while her husband, an Indian Army soldier, is out on duty at the border. When the episode aired two years back, it led to nationwide backlash for Kapoors and AltBalaji. "AltBalaji Insults Army" had trended on Twitter.
Earlier, Ekta had apologized for hurting people 'unintentionally'
While Ekta didn't comment on the warrants yet, back in 2020, she apologized on video, adding that she was "deeply respectful towards the Indian army." But at the same time, she criticized cyberbullying and how trolls had been giving rape threats.
