logo
High Court in Goa refuses former CM's petition to stay release of film ‘Costao'

High Court in Goa refuses former CM's petition to stay release of film ‘Costao'

Hindustan Times02-05-2025
The Bombay high court at Goa dismissed an appeal filed by former Goa chief minister Churchill Alemao who had sought an injunction against the release of the film 'Costão' that released on OTT platforms on Thursday -- a film loosely based on the life of customs officer Costão Fernandes.
Churchill had earlier approached the Civil Court at South Goa with a civil defamation case against the producers and others of the film seeking damages to the tune of ₹100-crore alleging that the film being produced 'was solely based on the narrative given by Costão Fernandes, in complete ignorance of various judicial proceedings that were initiated in respect of the incident, and which are contained in various judgments of this Court and of the Supreme Court based on an incomplete narrative of the facts of the particular incident and is in the nature of defaming [Churchill] and his family members, harming his reputation, his public image and his political status.'
In his petition, Churchill claimed that the film, if allowed to be produced and released, would portray him and his family as a 'villain' and would allow the producers to make commercial gain at the cost of [his] reputation and political career and of his family members.
In response, the producers and other respondents to the case defended the film stating that the entire case 'proceeds based on inferences drawn from newspaper articles and reports or comments made publicly by third parties who have not seen the film'; that their film is a work of fiction that does not purport to be a true story and that the real life incident 'may have inspired the film.'
The film contains a specific disclaimer that 'any resemblance to persons, past or present is purely incidental,' the producers also said.
Also Read:Nawazuddin Siddiqui swam in crocodile-infested lake for Costao, finished shot despite bike brakes failing
The high court bench of Justice Valmiki Menezes ruled in favour of the film and denied the injunction. The order of the court was released on Wednesday, a day before the film's release.
'Atleast at this stage, before the release of the film, the defendants have set out a case that the film is a work of fiction, dramatising an incident which is described in records of various courts. The defendants also claim that the film is based on inspiration derived from the facts stated in court records and from the version of the incident stated by Costão. The claim is that the film is a work purely of fiction and dramatizing the incident to give it a certain entertainment value for viewers. There are enough safeguards also placed in the form of a disclaimer. Nothing is shown on record to draw any likeness of any character in the film, which is not yet released, or for the Plaintiff to believe from any material that the character has a likeness similar to the Plaintiff or any members of his family,' Justice Menezes, said.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Bihar SIR ‘Exercise in Exclusion', Says Opposition INDIA Bloc
Bihar SIR ‘Exercise in Exclusion', Says Opposition INDIA Bloc

The Wire

time5 minutes ago

  • The Wire

Bihar SIR ‘Exercise in Exclusion', Says Opposition INDIA Bloc

Politics Addressing a press conference in New Delhi, the opposition said that the EC must abandon its 'institutional arrogance' and roll back the SIR. New Delhi: The opposition INDIA bloc on Sunday (July 27) called the Election Commission (EC)'s ongoing special intensive revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in poll-bound Bihar an 'exercise in exclusion', demanding that the poll body give up its 'institutional arrogance' and stop the exercise. 'This is an exercise in exclusion. In the whole month, you could not find a single person who had to be included? There are different categories of exclusion, but it is highly surprising that they did not come across a single person who is eligible for inclusion,' said Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist) Liberation general secretary Dipankar Bhattacharya while addressing a press conference in New Delhi. 'Between the summary revision which was conducted in January 2025 and July 2025 SIR, are we to believe that 22 lakh people have died in the last six months?' According to the EC's figures released on Sunday, a total of 65 lakh people have been found to be deceased, permanently shifted or not found, and another seven lakh were found to have registered in multiple places. The commission said that 7.24 crore enumeration forms have been collected at the end of its month-long exercise, which amounts to 91.69% of the total electors in the state. The press conference was addressed by Bhattacharya, Rashtriya Janata Dal MP Manoj Kumar Jha, Congress MP Abhishek Manu Singhvi and the Communist Party of India (Marxist)'s Nilotpal Basu. Singhvi questioned the 'institutional arrogance' of the EC and asked why the exercise could not be de-linked from the assembly elections due to be held in November. 'Please rethink your institutional arrogance. Everyone across the country is urging you to roll this back. What was the hurry to conduct this exercise just three months before the elections and link it to the elections? Why could this not be done after the elections? Many mistakes are being made because of this time limit,' he said. Singhvi said that amid questions being raised that the exercise was not one for the purification of electoral rolls but a citizenship verification drive, the EC has now made its stated objective clear. 'Earlier it was not clear, but now it is absolutely clear that this is a citizenship verification exercise by the EC. The Supreme Court's suggestion is as good as an order. If one is to accept the EC's argument that Aadhaar, ration card and EPIC card cannot be accepted, then that only means you want a proof of citizenship. That means your stated objective is to determine citizenship,' he said. Earlier this week, the EC in its affidavit in the Supreme Court said it has the authority to seek proof of citizenship and also turned down the court's suggestion that Aadhaar, voter identity and ration cards be considered as valid documents in its controversial exercise, which has been criticised for its risk of mass disenfranchisement and exclusion. 'Because you have said citizenship cannot be determined by ration card, voter ID card or Aadhaar card. So the question arises, has this right been given to the EC?' said Singhvi. Jha said that the exercise was started without consulting political parties, while 'opacity had become a hallmark' of the EC's functioning. 'When the chief election commissioner [Gyanesh Kumar] took over, he had said emphatically that none of his decisions would be taken without consulting political parties. I think in the last 22 years, there has been no bigger decision than this, but no political party was consulted. On June 24 the exercise was announced and on June 25 it was started," he said. Jha said that reports had shown booth-level officers filling out forms or sitting at a party office and signing forms, as well as instances of forms not being filled duly. 'This is a form of constitutional fraud. If my form can be filled without my sign or fingerprint and submitted, and on the basis of this you call it a cleaning exercise, then sorry to say, opacity has become a hallmark of the functioning of the EC,' he said. The opposition parties demanded that the exercise be stopped, with time still in hand. The Supreme Court meanwhile is slated to continue hearing the petitions challenging the exercise on Monday (July 28). The Wire is now on WhatsApp. Follow our channel for sharp analysis and opinions on the latest developments.

'No THAAD...': Saudi Rejects 'Trump Pressure' To Defend Israel; US' Arab Ally Sides With Iran!?
'No THAAD...': Saudi Rejects 'Trump Pressure' To Defend Israel; US' Arab Ally Sides With Iran!?

Time of India

time28 minutes ago

  • Time of India

'No THAAD...': Saudi Rejects 'Trump Pressure' To Defend Israel; US' Arab Ally Sides With Iran!?

Supreme Court Told Bihar Voter Roll Revision a 'Grave Fraud on Voters' The Supreme Court on Saturday heard serious allegations against the Election Commission's special intensive revision (SIR) of Bihar's electoral rolls. Petitioners, including the Association for Democratic Reforms and the RJD, claimed the process was marred by irregularities — with BLOs allegedly forging voter signatures, dead individuals shown as having submitted forms, and genuine voters excluded without notice. The petitioners argued that the EC's numbers were unreliable as forms were collected without proper documentation, putting lakhs at risk of disenfranchisement just ahead of the state elections. They also questioned why the EC rejected Aadhaar and ration cards as valid proof.#supremecourt #electioncommission #biharelections #voterfraud #electoralrolls #rjd #adr #voterlist #disenfranchisement #biharnews #manojjha #ashoklavasa #form6 #voteridentity #bloirregularities 152 views | 1 hour ago

Supreme Court Told Bihar Voter Roll Revision a 'Grave Fraud on Voters'
Supreme Court Told Bihar Voter Roll Revision a 'Grave Fraud on Voters'

Time of India

timean hour ago

  • Time of India

Supreme Court Told Bihar Voter Roll Revision a 'Grave Fraud on Voters'

The Supreme Court on Saturday heard serious allegations against the Election Commission's special intensive revision (SIR) of Bihar's electoral rolls. Petitioners, including the Association for Democratic Reforms and the RJD, claimed the process was marred by irregularities — with BLOs allegedly forging voter signatures, dead individuals shown as having submitted forms, and genuine voters excluded without notice. The petitioners argued that the EC's numbers were unreliable as forms were collected without proper documentation, putting lakhs at risk of disenfranchisement just ahead of the state elections. They also questioned why the EC rejected Aadhaar and ration cards as valid proof.#supremecourt #electioncommission #biharelections #voterfraud #electoralrolls #rjd #adr #voterlist #disenfranchisement #biharnews #manojjha #ashoklavasa #form6 #voteridentity #bloirregularities Read More

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store