February 17, 2017
Hyderabad police on Saturday questioned filmmaker Ram Gopal
Varma in connection with a case of obscenity booked against him for his movie
"God, Sex and Truth", and also for allegedly insulting the modesty of a woman.
The filmmaker, whose controversial movie with American porn star Mia Malkova
was released on internet last month, was quizzed for nearly three-and-half hours
by the officials of the Central Crime Station (CCS).
The police officials
questioned him about the allegations made against him by women activists.
The officials seized Varma's laptop and served another notice under Section
41 of Criminal Procedure Code, asking him to appear before them once again next
week.
The filmmaker told police that he did not direct or produce the
movie and it was only the concept which he had given. He claimed that the movie
was shot in Poland and the United Kingdom.
With regard to some
objectionable pictures in which he is seen with the actress, he told police that
the pictures were taken when she was shooting for another movie.
CCS
Additional DCP Raghuveer told reporters that they collected his passport
details.
Varma sought time to answer some questions from the
investigating officers.
On January 25, a day before the release of the
movie, Varma was booked by the CCS. A case under Section 67 of the Information
Technology Act, 2000 was booked against him for publishing or transmitting
obscene material in electronic form.
The filmmaker was also booked under
sections 506 and 509 of the Indian Penal Code for allegedly making personal
comments against women activists during the debate on the movie on some
television channels. When activists accused him of promoting obscenity, Varma
allegedly offered to make similar movies with them. He has been charged with
insulting the modesty of a woman.
The CCS this week issued fresh notice
on Varma as he could not appear before the officials earlier.
Women's
organisations in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh had staged protest last month,
demanding ban on the release of the movie on web and Varma's immediate arrest.
The activists alleged that Varma released the movie on web to avoid the
certification by authorities. They said the filmmaker was portraying woman as a
sex object and promoting pornography.