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The Bombay High Court on Friday granted anticipatory bail to Bollywood actor Govinda in a 1997 defamation case registered against him in the then undivided state of Bihar.
The case was registered against Govinda two decades ago in Jharkhand, which was part of Bihar then. It is related to a song in his movie Chhote Sarkar that allegedly made a defamatory reference to the state of Bihar.
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In 1997, a lawyer from the Pakur district of Jharkhand (then Bihar) filed a case of defamation against Govinda, his co-star in the film Shilpa Shetty, and several other crew members. His complaint stated that the actors and other accused persons had defamed Bihar and Uttar Pradesh over the lyrics of the song Ek Chumma Tu Mujhko Udhaar De De in the Chhote Sarkar.
Govinda had moved to Bombay High Court to seek anticipatory bail, that today gave him temporary relief in the case. The court accepted his submission and granted him anticipatory bail for four weeks, asking him to pay surety of Rs 25,000.
Govinda’s lawyer today argued before the high court that since the song had been picturised in Mumbai, the high court in Mumbai had the jurisdiction in the matter and therefore it could grant him protection from arrest in this case.
He argued that the personal liberty and freedom of the actor was at stake because the case was pending in a magistrate’s court at Pakur in Jharkhand.
Govinda latest film ‘Aagaya Hero’ is releasing on March 16 and his friend Baba Dubey, who was also present in the court, said that this was a huge relief for the actor as he had to promote his film right now.
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