Karan Johar discharged from criminal case

Lucknow, Jan 19: A local court on Tuesday, Jan 19 discharged producer late Yash Johar and director Karan Johar from a criminal complaint for playing national anthem in movie "Kabhi Khushi Kabhi Gham" without caution causing "dishonour" to it.

"Karan Johar had filed revision petition before sessions court which was heard by Additional District Judge Dhruv Raj, who allowed the revision and discharged Karan Johar from the case today," Johar's lawyer Chandra Shekhar Sinha said.

The complaint alleged that in the movie the national anthem was sung and some people in the picture hall stood up while some kept sitting as there was no caution before playing the song which caused dishonour to the national anthem.

The magistrate had passed a summoning order on April 17, 2002 and it was challenged by Karan Johar in high court, which had stayed the proceedings on July 18, 2002.

The high court vide judgement dated September 1, 2009 had directed the magistrate to consider discharge application but the magistrate rejected it vide order dated October 20, 2014, following which the revision petition was filed before the sessions court.

PTI