In a significant relief to filmmaker Sujoy Ghosh, the Supreme Court on Friday (20 March) quashed the criminal proceedings initiated against him over alleged copyright infringement in the 2016 film Kahaani 2: Durga Rani Singh. The Court also set aside the summoning order issued by a Hazaribagh court and the Jharkhand High Court’s refusal to interfere.
In a significant relief to filmmaker Sujoy Ghosh, the Supreme Court on Friday quashed the criminal proceedings initiated against him over alleged copyright infringement in the 2016 film Kahaani 2: Durga Rani Singh. The Court also set aside the summoning order issued by a Hazaribagh court and the Jharkhand High Court’s refusal to interfere.
Background of the Case
The dispute began when Umesh Prasad Mehta filed a complaint before the Chief Judicial Magistrate (CJM) in Hazaribagh. He alleged that the script of Kahaani 2 was copied from his original work titled Sabak.
According to Mehta, he had approached Ghosh in June 2015 with a copy of his script, seeking a recommendation to help register it with a film producers’ association. He claimed that instead of assisting him, the filmmaker used his script to produce the sequel to the 2012 hit Kahaani.
Based on these allegations, the Magistrate found a prima facie case under Section 63 of the Copyright Act and issued summons to Ghosh.
Ghosh challenged the criminal case before the Jharkhand High Court under Section 482 of the Criminal Procedure Code, arguing that the complaint was baseless and “chronologically impossible.”
However, the High Court refused to quash the proceedings. It held that at the initial stage, courts should not conduct a “mini-trial” or assess the evidentiary value of competing claims.
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The Court noted that there were “direct and specific allegations” against the filmmaker and that the Magistrate had properly examined the complainant and witnesses before issuing summons.
The matter then reached the Supreme Court through a Special Leave Petition. A Bench of Justice P.S. Narasimha and Justice Alok Aradhe examined the case.
After hearing the parties, the Bench found grounds to interfere with the criminal proceedings and the earlier orders.
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In its order, the Court stated:
“The summoning order… and the High Court order… are quashed and set aside. The proceedings in the complaint case pending before CJM, Hazaribagh are also quashed.”
Allowing the petition, the Supreme Court effectively brought an end to the criminal case against Sujoy Ghosh. It set aside both the Magistrate’s summoning order and the Jharkhand High Court’s decision, thereby quashing the entire complaint proceedings pending in Hazaribagh.
Case Title: Sujoy Ghosh v. State of Jharkhand & Anr.
Case Number: Special Leave to Appeal (Crl.) No(s). 9452/2025
