Govinda gets court's reprieve over Ek Chumma Tu Mujhko Udhaar De De

Bollywood actor Govinda heaved a sigh of relief after the Jharkhand high court on Monday stayed a property attachment order issued against the actor by a lower court which is hearing the case over controversial song ‘Ek Chumma Tu Mujhko Udhaar De De’.

Actors Govinda and Shilpa Shetty have been accused of defaming Bihar and Uttar Pradesh as the song ‘Ek chumma tu mujhko udhar de de, badle mein UP Bihar lele.’ from 1996 Bollywood blockbuster Chote Sarkar was picturised on them. Court’s order for attachment of properties of both the actors were issued this year.

Young lawyers’ association in Jharkhand’s Pakur district had filed a case against the actors back in 1997 when it was still a part of Bihar. The high court, in response to the appeal filed by the aggrieved actors, had stayed the lower court’s proceeding in 2001. Since then the case was pending before the high court which dismissed it in 2016 after none had appeared on behalf of the actors.

Pakur lower court, therefore, resumed the criminal proceedings against the actors and others including the film’s director Vimal Kumar, singers Udit Narayan and Alka Yagnik, music composer duo Anand Milind and lyricist Rani Malik in June, 2016.

It had issued summons to all accused asking them to face the court’s proceedings. But none had appeared forcing the court to issue non-bailable arrest warrants and orders for attachment of their properties.

Govinda’s lawyer Abhay Kumar Mishra on Monday urged the high court to quash the lower court’s proceedings as his client didn’t intent to defame the states of Bihar and UP. “The song was duly cleared by the censor board,” he said

The bench of Justice Rongan Mukhopadyay stayed property attachment order issued against Govinda and called for lower court records related to the case.