HC relief for filmmaker Sanjay Gupta in forgery case

Bombay High Court today granted anticipatory bail to filmmaker Sanjay Gupta, who is accused of cheating and forgery for promotion of his flick "Shootout at Wadala", observing that the police showed "over enthusiasm" in registering the case.

"It is an innovative invitation. Have you (police) lost your sense of humour? The accused have not issued the invitation with an intention to cause loss or cheat someone," Justice A V Nirgude said.

Sanjay Gupta, Balaji Motion Pictures (Producer) and Glamsham.com (Bollywood movie portal) were booked under various sections of the IPC for forging letterhead of the city Police Commissioner in the media invites sent out by them for a press conference last week.

Gupta had approached the high court after the sessions court rejected his anticipatory bail on March 5.

Questioning if the sessions court judge who rejected the anticipatory bail too had lost his "sense of humour", Justice Nirgude granted Gupta bail on surety of Rs 10000.

The court, however, directed Gupta to send an apology to the commissioner of police and withdraw the invitation from websites.
"As it is not in good taste you (Gupta) should apologise. You should not have used the

Mumbai police seal and the Ashoka emblem in the invitation," the court said.

Observing that the police showed "over enthusiasm" in registering the case against the filmmaker, Justice Nirgude said, "Prima facie no offence is made out. No one is cheated. At the most this can be construed as misleading. Like how people fool each other on April Fools day".

Gupta's counsel Ashok Mundargi told the court that the invitation was sent only to media for film promotion.