NEW DELHI: The Allahabad high court has granted protection from arrest to the writers and directors of Amazon Prime Video’s popular web-series Mirzapur in connection with a case lodged against them for hurting regional and religious sentiments with the depiction of the town of Mirzapur in the show.

While staying the arrest of Karan Anshuman, Gurmeet Singh, Puneet Krishna and Vineet Krishna (writers and directors of two seasons of the web-series), the bench of justice Pritinker Diwaker and justice Deepak Verma also issued a notice seeking the response of the Uttar Pradesh government and the complainant in the matter.

The complainant, a local journalist named Arvind Chaturvedi, had stated in the FIR that the web-series portrays Mirzapur (and the places within) as anti-social and infested with crime, and in such a manner that is far away from the reality of life in the town, thereby hurting his sentiments. He had also alleged that the show promotes illicit relationships besides depicting  a "polluted picture" of the legal and judicial system.

The petitioners approached the high court seeking to quash the FIR registered against them and also sought a stay on the investigation and proceedings arising out of the case. They pointed out that the series is purely a work of fiction, and also made it clear that the makers of the show respect all faiths and religions and that all places and events in Mirzapur are completely fictional.

Previously, the Allahabad HC had passed an interim order in January 2021, shielding from arrest Mirzapur producers Farhan Akhtar and Ritesh Sidhwani, something the petitioners highlighted before the court in their plea for relief.

In a related matter, the Supreme Court last week issued notices to Amazon Prime Video, the Union Government, and the producers of the show, seeking their responses on a petition demanding a ban on Mirzapur for tarnishing "the historical and the cultural image of the city/district."