HC clears 'Nishabd' for release tomorrow

New Delhi, Mar 1 (UNI) The Delhi High Court today refused to ban the release of Bollywood film director Ram Gopal Varma's Amitabh Bachchan starrer "Nishabd" slated for release Friday.

Refusing to restrain Varma from releasing his movie on charges of plagiarism, a division bench of Chief Justice M.K. Sharma and Justice Sanjiv Khanna issued notice to Varma, RGV Films and Central Board of Film Certification to file their replies by April 9.

Director Jahar Kanungo of Bengali art film of the same name "Nisshabda" moved the division bench of the court, challenging the single bench order.

Accusing Varma of plagiarising his idea's in making "Nishabd", Kanungo sought the court direction to stay the release of the Film.

Justice A K Sikri had on Tuesday dismissed Kanungo's petition accusing Varma of plagiarising his film of the same name. The judge rejected his petition, saying the petitioner approached the court too late to secure the legal reprieve and have the film stopped from being released.

"Injunction of the nature pressed by the plaintiff (Kanungo) cannot be granted at this stage when he approached the court barely 10 days before the proposed release of the film," said Justice Sikri in his 38-page ruling.

UNI