The Supreme Court yesterday cleared the decks for an all-India release of the controversial movie 'Nanak Shah Fakir' on April 13. The top court criticised the apex Sikh body Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) for putting restrictions on the release of the movie, based on the life and teachings of the first Sikh guru, Guru Nanak Dev.
A bench of Chief Justice Dipak Misra and justices A M Khanwilkar and D Y Chandrachud said once the statutory body like the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) has cleared the movie, no individual then has the right to impede its release.
The CBFC had cleared the movie on March 28 but, Sikka claimed, he had received a communication on March 30 from the SGPC asking him not to release the film.