The Rajasthan high court has directed the state not to take coercive steps against filmmaker Karan Johar in a case lodged in Jodhpur against him, and Indian cricket team players Hardik Pandya and KL Rahul. Jodhpur resident D R Meghwal had filed an FIR with Luni police against Pandya, Rahul, and Johar, alleging that Pandya had made insulting remarks against women in TV show 'Koffee With Karan'.
Both cricketers had moved a petition before the high court seeking quashing of the FIR. The court had given interim protection to both of them from arrest. After hearing Johar's petition, justice Dr Pushpendra Singh Bhati ordered the complainant and the state government to submit their replies in the case. The court has also issued notice to the state government seeking the latest factual report in the case.
Johar's 2019 interview with both cricketers created a massive storm on the internet as people raised objections against Pandya's misogynistic remarks in 'Koffee With Karan'. The Board of Control for Cricket India (BCCI) had even placed both the cricketers on provisional suspension. Pandya's brags about hooking up with multiple women particularly placed him in a soup. He lost a contract with Gillette, was replaced in the team for the then ongoing ODI series in Australia, and India's limited-overs tour of New Zealand.
Both Rahul and Pandya were also slammed by veteran sportsmen, including batsman Sunil Gavaskar, and World Cup-winning spinner Harbhajan Singh.
