Sikkim: FIR lodged against Paatal Lok for insulting Nepali community

‘Paatal Lok’, a web series streaming on Amazon prime, has faced trouble as Chief Judicial Magistrate has ordered Station House Officer of Sadar Police Station to register a First Information Report under Section154, CRPC 1973.

The order comes after the petitioners had approached the SHO of Sadar PS in relation to the dosgraceful filthy, disrespectful, hurtful and racial slur dialog namely " Nepali Randi (Nepali whore ) streaming in the Amazon Prime video web series "Patal Lok" in its Episode 2 : 'Lost and Found ' under banner M/s Clean Slate Films Pvt Ltd. It submitted that the aforementioned slur is delivered at the third minute 44 th second of the episode by character Manju Sharma played by one Ms Nikita Grover. 

Also read: Sikkim MP condemns ‘racial’ slur against Nepalis in Paatal Lok, writes to Information Ministry

Earlier last month objecting to the dialog on the series Nawin Kiran Pradhan, Sikkim Subject Committee along with Prakash Lee, Arun Limbo and Deo Prakash Gurung have lodged General Diary at Sadar Police station. They call the dialogue derogatory and highly objectionable and they later approached Chief Judicial Magistrate and today magistrate ordered SHO to file FIR.

Sikkim Lok Sabha MP Indra Hang Subba on May 25th, 2020, demanded appropriate action against the directors and producers of ‘Paatal Lok’, an Amazon Prime Video web series for allegedly insulting the Nepali community.

“The derogatory and offensive label made in the particular scene of the series has not only hurt the sentiments of the community but has also set an example of racist stereotyping of the people from the community especially at this time where the people from the Northeast region have already endured racial assaults owing to the COVID-19 pandemic,” the MP said.

In this regard, the parliamentarian dashed off a letter to the Union Minister for Information and Broadcasting Prakash Javedkar against the controversial video.

Saying that the dialogue is provocative, Subba said, “This is totally objectionable and highly condemnable.”

Besides, he said, despite number of Nepali speaking Gorkha jawans committed to protect our great nation, the identity and the image of Nepali speaking Gorkhas have been compromised with this kind of insensible and irresponsible derogatory statement.

On May 23rd, 2020, an FIR was lodged by advocate Nazin Kiran Pradhan and Arun Limboo with the Gangtok Sadar police against the Bollywood actor Anushka Sharma for her dialogue in the web Series in Sikkim.

“Anushka made a very filthy, disrespectful, hurtful dialog is made by an actress against the Nepali community in an Amazon Prime Video Web Series ‘Patal Lok’ Season I, Episode 2 (Lost and Found). The dialog made at exactly 3 minutes and 44 seconds in the above mentioned episode is ‘Nepali Ilpot’ by character Manju Varma played by Miss Nitika Grover,” the FIR states, a copy of which is available with Inside NE.

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