Netflix Ordered By Court To Remove Episode Of True Crime Series
Netflix has been ordered to remove a true crime episode that investigates a murder.
This article is more than 2 years old
A recently released Netflix documentary series called Crime Stories: India Detective has been pulled from the streamer’s schedule. While it might look like censorship at first glance, there’s actually a really good reason behind the move. On Friday The Karnataka High Court ordered Netflix to block the streaming of the first Crime Stories episode titled A Murdered Mother due to the case still being active. According to MediaNama, the notice came after a petition was filed against the streamer by one of the co-accused in the investigation.
As per the reports, the petition to halt the Netflix show was filed by Sridhar Rao, a 28 years old resident of Bengaluru. Sridhar was accused of helping Amrutha Chandrashekar to murder her 54-year-old mother Nirmala Chandrashekar. The episode in question is said to contain visuals of the investigation by the police.
The Netflix episode also includes a derogatory statement made by police during the investigation about Rao which is unlawful. They contend that this was a real and imminent threat of prejudice to the fairness of the trial and the rights of the petitioner (Rao) under Article 21 of the Indian Constitution.
In his petition, Sridhar Rao also mentioned that the streaming of the Netflix episode hinders his right to a free and fair trial. The episode is said to be a violation of his privacy and the content, without any justification, exposes the petitioner to ridicule and harassment by the public. In the murder case, Rao is undergoing trial for multiple crimes which includes offenses punishable under Sections 302 (punishment for murder) and 307 (murder attempt), 212 (harboring offender), 201 (Causing disappearance of evidence of offense) read with Section 34 (criminal act done by several persons with common intention) of the Indian Penal Code.
As such, Netflix has been ordered to remove the first episode of Crime Stories India Detective and must respond to the official notice to do so no later than October 21, 2021.
Created by Netflix, Crime Stories: India Detectives is an Indian Kannada-Language documentary series that was released on September 22nd. The series follows Bengaluru police on active duty. It offers viewers a rare glimpse into the complex and challenging inner workings of investigations into major crimes. Produced by Minnow Films, the character-based docu-series showcases four different stories and will also give viewers a peek into emotional moments experienced by the police while investigating the crimes, as well as their personal lives and personalities.
Netflix’s Crime Stories: India Detectives is directed by N Amit and Jack Rampling and produced by Tarun Saldanha. Morgan Matthews and Fiona Stourton are attached as executive producers on the series.
Meanwhile, Minnow Films has previously backed projects like The Fallen, a film about the loss of British Armed Forces in Afghanistan and Iraq, The Last Survivors, and the Netflix series Bad Boy Billionaires.
The first four episodes of Netflix’s Crime Stories: India Detectives are based on various stories that took place in Bengaluru and are currently available on the streaming platform. In the following episodes, similar crime stories from Delhi and other parts of India will be featured.
