HC quashes plaint against Sony India

Saurabh Malik

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, June 19

Nearly six years after Sony India Private Limited and others were summoned by a Patiala court on the allegation that the video CDs for gaming console contained scenes depicting “excessive nudity”, besides representing women in an indecent manner, the Punjab and Haryana High Court has quashed the proceedings.

The petitioners had moved the High Court by filing five petitions for quashing, among other things, the criminal complaint dated June 4, 2012, by complainant Sunil Sharma, and summoning order dated June 19, 2012, passed by the trial court vide which they were summoned under the provisions of the IPC and the Indecent Representation of Women (Prohibition) Act. 

The complainant had alleged that video CDs sold and marketed by the petitioners-accused carried obscene content, showing excessive nudity with sexual themes. As such, it amounted to indecent representation of women. 

Specific reference was made to games “God of War”, “Heavy Rain”, “Dante’s Inferno” and “Beowulf”. The complainant had added the CDs were sold to youths in India without any prior certification or authority from the Government of India. As such, the trial court had rightly summoned the petitioners.