On December 23, 2025, the Bombay High Court decided to dismiss a police complaint related to a Marathi TV show episode that aired in 2012. The case involved claims of insults based on caste.
The controversy started with an episode of the Marathi show "Laxmi versus Saraswati," aired on August 22, 2012. It contained dialogues that were said to be offensive to the Mahar caste. The complaint No. 232 of 2023 was filed by Rahul Gaikwad at Wada Police Station, Thane.
Shrabani Deodhar, the Programming Head of Star Pravah, and Star Entertainment Media Pvt. Ltd. (SEMPL) filed requests to dismiss the complaint. They argued that: - They didn't create or say the offensive content. - The words were not in the script and were said spontaneously by an actor. - A warning was shown with the episodes, distancing SEMPL from the content.
The court had initially paused the investigation against Shrabani Deodhar and SEMPL in 2014. During the hearings, the lawyers pointed out that: - The complaint didn't claim that the petitioners were not of the scheduled caste. - The petitioners were not responsible for the script or dialogue.
Justice Manish Pitale and Justice Manjusha Deshpande concluded: - The basic requirements of the alleged crimes under the Atrocities Act and other laws were not met. - There was no intention to insult or humiliate linked to Shrabani Deodhar and SEMPL.
"Simply using caste names cannot be a crime unless it is meant to insult."
The police complaint was dismissed only for Shrabani Deodhar and SEMPL, stressing the need for clear proof of intent in caste-related offenses.
