Court issues notice to designers, editor over Gulmarg fashion show

A court in Srinagar has issued a pre-cognizance notice to the organisers of a fashion show held in Gulmarg on March 7, which sparked outrage across the Valley. The event, conducted during the ongoing month of Ramadan, ignited a major controversy, leading to disruptions in the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly’s Budget session.

Following the uproar, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah clarified that the government had no involvement in the event, describing it as a “private affair.”

The Special Mobile Magistrate Court in Srinagar issued the pre-cognizance notices to fashion designers Shivan and Narresh, the organisers of the show, and the Editor-in-Chief of ELLE India, following a complaint filed by Awami Ittehad Party (AIP) leader Adil Nazir Khan.

Advocate Naveed Bukhtiyar, representing the petitioner, explained that the court reviewed the case in detail. “Court heard me at length and raised many queries related to the offences invoked and examined the complaint thoroughly. After satisfying itself, the court was generous enough to issue the pre-cognizance notice to the accused under the proviso clause of section 223(1), which is a mandatory provision to be followed in new criminal law that is to give an opportunity to the accused before the court takes actual cognizance and issues the process,” he said.

The court has scheduled the next hearing for April 8.

In the complaint, the petitioner expressed that “the complainant along with other members of the Muslim community has been deeply hurt by these actions, and the public disturbance caused by the event has caused significant emotional distress.” The petitioner requested that the court take cognizance of the offence, issue process against the accused, and, if convicted, sentence them in accordance with the law. Furthermore, the complainant sought compensation for the emotional distress caused