The Punjab and Haryana High Court has issued notices to the Punjab government and the central government in response to a petition filed by Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd. The petition challenges official communications that advised the company not to release a documentary titled "Lawrence of Punjab" on its OTT platform ZEE5.
Court Proceedings
The matter came up for hearing before Justice Jagmohan Bansal on Friday, who sought responses from both governments after hearing initial submissions from the petitioner's counsel.
Petitioner's Arguments
The counsel for the petitioner argued that the advisory issued by the Union Ministry of Information and Broadcasting lacked legal backing, as it did not invoke any specific statutory provision. It was contended that in the absence of such provisions, authorities cannot restrain or compel the platform from releasing content. The petitioner seeks to quash communications dated April 23 and 24 and also requests a stay on their operation during the pendency of the case.
Documentary Release Timeline
The teaser and trailer of the documentary were released on April 11 and April 19, respectively. The court also noted that gangster Lawrence Bishnoi has approached the Delhi High Court seeking a stay on the documentary's release.
Next Hearing
The matter has now been posted for the next hearing on May 11.
