Chandrakant Kalyandas Kakodar Vs. The
State of Maharashtra & Ors [1969] INSC 202 (25 August 1969)
25/08/1969 REDDY, P. JAGANMOHAN REDDY, P.
JAGANMOHAN SIKRI, S.M.
MITTER, G.K.
CITATION: 1970 AIR 1390 1970 SCR (2) 80 1969
SCC (2) 687
CITATOR INFO:
R 1986 SC 967 (25)
ACT:
Obscenity-Tests for determining-Penal Code
Sec. 292.
HEADNOTE:
The appellant, the author of a short story
and the printer and publisher of the story were convicted under section 292
I.P.C. on a charge of obscenity. Setting aside the conviction this Court,
HELD: It is the duty of the Court to consider
the article, story or book by taking an overall view of the entire work and to
determine whether the obscene passages are so likely to deprave and corrupt
those whose minds are open to such influences and in whose hands the book is
likely to fall; and in doing so the influence of the book on the social
morality of our contemporary society cannot be overlooked. Even so as the
question of obscenity may have to be judged in the light of the claim that the
work has a predominant literary merit, it may be necessary if it is at all
required, to rely to a certain extent on the evidence and views of leading
litterateurs on that aspect. [82 D; 83 E--G] To insist that the standard would
always be for the writer to see that the adolescent ought not to be brought
into contact with sex or that if they read any references to sex in what is
written, whether that is the dominant theme or not, they would be affected,
would be to require the authors to write books only for the adolescent and not
for the adults What has to be seen is that whether a class, not an isolated
case, into whose hands the book, article or story falls suffer in their moral
outlook or become depraved by reading it or might have impure or lecherous
thoughts aroused in their minds. The charge of obscenity must, therefore, be
judged from this aspect. [88 D, G--H] Ranjit D'. Udeshi v. State of Maharashtra
[1965] 1 S.C.R., 65 followed.
Applying the above tests the story read as a
whole did not amount to its being pornography nor did it pander to the prurient
interest. [87 A--B]
CRIMINAL APPELLATE JURISDICTION: Criminal
Appeal No. 170 of 1967.
Appeal by special leave from the judgment and
order dated October 25, 1966 of the Bombay High Court in Criminal Appeal No.
805 of 1965.
S.S. Kavalekar, K. Rajendra Chaudhuri and
K.R. Chaudhuri, for the appellant.
H.R. Khanna, B.D. Sharma and S.P. Nayar, for
respondent No.1.
The Judgment of the Court was delivered by P.
Jaganmohan Reddy, J. This appeal is by special leave directed against the
judgment of the Bombay High Court.
81 The appellant is the author of a short
story entitled Shama published in the 1962 Diwali Issue of Rambha, a monthly
Marathi Magazine, which story is said to be obscene.
Criminal proceedings were, therefore,
initiated before the first class Magistrate, Poona by the complainant Bhide
under s. 292 I.P.C. against the Printer and Publisher accused 1, the writer of
the story accused 2 and the selling agent accused 3. The complainant stated
that he had read the aforesaid Diwali issue of Rambha and found many articles
and pictures in it to be obscene which are calculated to corrupt and deprave
the minds of the readers in general and the young readers in particular. The
Complainant further relented to several other articles in the same issue such
as the story of Savitri and certain cartoons but we are not now concerned with
these because both the Magistrate as well the High Court did not think that
they offended the provisions of s. 292 I.P.C. the magistrate after an
exhaustive consideration did not find the accused guilty of the offence with
which they were charged and, therefore, acquitted them. The complainant and the
State filed appeals against this judgment of acquittal.
Before the High Court it was conceded that
there was no evidence that accused No. 3 had sold any copies of the issues of
Rambha and accordingly the order of acquittal in his favour was confirmed. In
so far as the other two accused are concerned it reversed the order of
acquittal and convicted the printer and publisher accused 1 and the writer
accused 2 under s. 292 I.P.C. but taking into consideration the degree of
obscenity in the passages complained of a fine Rs. 25/- only was imposed on
each of the accused and in default they were directed to suffer simple
imprisonment for a week. It was also directed that copies of the magazine
Rambha in which the offending story was published and which may be in
possession and power of the two accused be destroyed.
The allegation, against the accused is that
certain passages in the story of Shama at pp. 111-112, 114, 116, 118-121, 127,
128, 131, and 134 are said to be obscene. In support of this the complainant
examined himself and led the evidence of Dr. P.G. Sahstrabudhe and Dr. G.V.
Purohit in support of his allegation that the novel is obscene and that the
writer and publisher contravened the provisions of s. 292 I.P.C. Accused No. 1
stated that the story of Shama was written by an ;able writer which depicted
the frustration in the life of a poet and denied that it was obscene. The
writer Kakodar, accused No. 2 claims to have written about 60 such stories.
which are published in different periodicals by reputed publishers. He also
denies that Shama is obscene and states that he has introduced certain
characters in order to condemn the worst and glorify the best and it was never
his intention to titillate the sex feelings of the 82 readers, but on the other
hand his attempt was to achieve the literary and artistic standard which was in
keeping with the style of some of the able and successful writers of Marathi
literature. In support of his defence, he examined Shri Keluskar and Prof.
Madho Manohar D.Ws. 1 and 2 respectively. The Court on its own summoned and
examined Prof. N.S. Phadke and Acharya P.K. Atre. Both the magistrate as well
as the learned Judge of the High Court were conversant with Marathi and they
seem to have read the story of Shama in the original, an advantage which we
have not got. However, on a consideration of the offending passages in the
story to which we shall refer presently, they came to different and opposite
conclusions.
It is apparent that the question whether a
particular article or story or book is obscene or not does not altogether
depend on oral evidence because it is the duty of the court to ascertain
whether the book or story or any passage or passages therein offend the
provisions of s. 292. Even so as the question of obscenity may have to be
judged in the light of the claim that the work has a predominant literary
merit, it may be necessary if it is at all required, to rely to a certain
extent on the evidence and views of leading litterateurs on that aspect
particularly when the work is in a language with which the Court is not
conversant. Often a translation may not bring out the delicate nuances of the
literary art in the story as it does in the language in which it is written and
in those circumstances what is said about its literary quality and worth by
persons competent to speak may be of value, though as was said in an earlier
decision, the verdict as to whether the book or article or story considered as
a whole panders to the prurient and is obscene must be judged by the courts and
ultimately by this Court.
What is obscenity has not been defined either
in s. 292 IPC or in any of the statutes prohibiting and penalising mailing,
importing, exporting, publishing and selling of obscene matters. The test that
has been generally applied in this country was that laid down by Cockburn, C.J.
in Hicklin's case(1) and even after the inauguration of the Constitution and
considered in relation to the fundamental right of freedom of speech and
expression this test, it has been held, should not be discarded. In Hicklin's
case(1) while construing statutes 20 and 21 Victoria, a measure enacted against
Obscene books, Cockburn, C.J. formulated the test in these words:
"I think the test of obscenity is this,
whether the tendency of the matter charged as obscenity is to deprave and
corrupt those whose minds are open to such immoral influences, and into whose
hands publication of (1) [1868] L.R. 3 Q.B. 360.
83 this sort may fail... It is quite certain
that it would suggest to the minds of the young of either sex, or even to
persons of more advanced years, thought of most impure and libidinous
character." This Court has in Udeshi v. State of Maharashtra(1) considered
the above test and also the test laid down in certain other American cases.
Hidayatullah, J. as he then was, at the outset pointed out that it is not easy
to lay down a true test because "art has such varied facets and such
individualistic appeals that in the same object the insensitive sees only
obscenity because his attention is arrested, not by the general or artistic
appeal or message which he cannot comprehend, but by what he can see, and the
intellectual sees beauty and art but nothing gross." It was also pointed
out in that decision at p. 74, "None has so far attempted a definition of
obscenity because the meaning can be laid bare without attempting a definition
by describing what must be looked for. It may, however, be said at once that
treating with sex and nudity in art and literature cannot be regarded as
evidence of obscenity without something more. It is not necessary that the
angels and saints of Michelangelo should be made to wear breeches before they
can be viewed. If the rigid test of treating with sex as the minimum ingredient
were accepted hardly any writer of fiction today would escape the fate Lawrence
had in his days.
Half the book-shops would close and the other
half would deal in nothing but moral and religious books which Lord Campbell
boasted was the effect of his Act." It is, therefore, the duty of the
court to consider the obscene matter by taking an overall view of the entire work
and to determine whether the obscene passages are so likely to deprave and
corrupt those whose minds are open to such influences and in whose hands the
book is likely to fail and in doing so one must not overlook the influences of
the book on the social morality of our contemporary society. We can do no
better than to refer to this aspect in the language of Hidayatullah, J. at p.
76:
"An overall view of the obscene matter
in the setting of the whole work would, of course, be necessary, but the
obscene matter must be considered by itself and separately to find out whether
it is so gross and its obscenity so decided that it is likely to deprave and
corrupt those whose minds are open to influences of this sort and into whose
hands the book is likely to fall." (1) [1965] 1 S.C.R. 65.
84 Referring to the attempt which our
national and regional languages are making to strengthen themselves by new
literary standards after a deadening period under the impact of English, it was
further observed at p. 77, "that where obscenity and art are mixed, art
must so preponderate as to throw the obscenity into a shadow or the obscenity
so trivial and insignificant that it can have no effect and may be overlooked.
In other words, treating with sex in a manner offensive to public decency and
morality (and these are the words of our Fundamental Law), judged of by our
national standards and considered likely to pander to lascivious, prurient or
sexually precocious minds, must determine the result. We need not attempt to
bowdlerize all literature and thus rob speech and expression of freedom. A
balance should be maintained between freedom of speech and expression and
public decency and morality but when the latter is substantially transgressed
the former must give way." Bearing in mind these observations and the
tests laid down in Udeshi's case,(1) we propose to examine, having regard to
our national standards, the passages in Shama to ascertain in the light of the
work as a whole whether the treat with sex in such a way as to be offensive to
public decency and morality as can be considered likely to pander to
lascivious, prurient or sexually precocious minds.
The second appellant writes about the life of
a poet Nishikant who left school in the days of freedom struggle, wrote revolutionary
poems, but as the freedom struggle waned he did not join school as others had
done notwithstanding his brother's advice that he should pass the metric so
that he could be employed in service. As he was mostly unemployed, he was
living on his brother and on the bounty of his sister-in-law who was kind and
considerate to him.
Nishikant, it will appear, is emotional,
sensitive and has the power to discern right from wrong. The story starts ,with
his being employed as a teacher and his meeting Sharma, the' Music teacher in
the school. His attraction for her and the opportunity she gives him to meet
her alone in her room fills him with a sense of foreboding lest he may have to
endure the pangs of suffering which he had to undergo. in his two earlier affairs
with Neela and Vanira.
The poet recalls these two affairs
individually and we get the impression that the pain which he underwent should
not be repeated. It is more as a repellent to any further involvement with
Shama that these experiences are related.
(1) [1965] 1 S.C.R. 65.
85 Neela who is about 17 years of age is the
daughter 015 a distant maternal cousin of his mother. As she had reached the
marriageable age, her father in Goa, Wasudeo who always treated Nishikant's
mother like his own sister is anxious to get her married to some eligible
youngman, but evidently the opportunity for choosing the right person was
remote. So he suggests to Nishikant's mother that Nishikant should come and
bring Neela to Bombay to live with them where they would have better
opportunity of choosing a youngman for her to be married. Nishikant who was
appointed in a newspaper office was at first reluctant but his sister-in- law
persuades him and so he goes to Goa. When he meets Neela, she had changed and
was not as ugly as when he had seen her earlier. The author then depicts the
slow but steady maturing of the love between them, the seeking of and getting
of opportunities to be near to each other, their having to sleep in the same
bed while on the boat coming to Bombay and ultimately falling in love with each
other which developed during Neela's stay in Bombay. During Neela's stay with
Nishikant's family the love between her and Nishikant became intense as a
result Nishikant proposes to marry her and writes to her father for his
consent. They wait for a reply but unknown to Nishikant, Neela receives a reply
from her father rejecting the proposal on the ground that Nishikant is
unemployed and would not join Government service even though he had suggested
it to him. He says in that letter that poetry may bring him fame but would not
give him a livelihood. As he was entirely dependent on his brother for his
maintenance, the father refused to give his consent in the interest of Neela's
happiness and told her that he was coming back to fetch her. As Neela was in
love with Nishikant but she knew that she would not be married to him, she
encourages him to bring their love to culmination. This state of affairs lasted
for a few days before her father took her away. About two months later
Nishikant receives an invitation card for Neela's marriage and thereafter he
received another letter written by Wasudeo to his daughter to which we have
earlier referred and which also. contained at the back of it Neela's message to
Nishikant asking him to forget her.
Even after four years he was unable to forget
Neela and had taken to drinking and coming home late. He was idle for long
spells and whenever he thought of Neela he wrote a poem. Then one day he was
introduced to Vanita who was a graduate and a married woman who had left her
husband. She was a critic of stories and novels. When they met, she had praised
his poems and had invited him to come to. her room ostensibly to discuss his
poetry. Vanita is shown as an oversaxed woman, experienced and forward, making
advances and suggestions. Ultimately she and Nishikant have several affairs
till one morning 86 he finds that the person who had introduced her to him was
coming out of her room and when he went in he found Vanita sleeping naked. His
spirit revolted seeing her in that condition. He was greatly upset at her
recalcitrance when he asked her how many more men she had. She replied that it
had nothing to do with him, that he had got what he wanted and she does not
want to be a slave to any person. He retorted with indignation that he did not
wish to see her face and walked out. He had then made up his mind not to have
any relations with any woman.
It was with such unpleasant experiences that
when he met Shama and was attracted to her he was hesitating and avoiding
meeting her alone but circumstances conspired to bring them together and again
another affair developed between them. He encourages Shama to sing, writes
lyrics for her songs and when she gives a performance in school he arranges for
a radio and gramophone representatives to be present there. Her music was
appreciated and she began to get audition from these sources. It appears one of
the school teacher Kale had earlier attempted to make love to Shama and she had
slapped him. When Kale informs Nishikant that he knows about his affairs with
Shama, Nishikant gets angry and tells him that he knows how he was slapped by
Shama for making advances to her. This enraged Kale and he seems to have taken
his revenge by maligning the character of Shama to the Principal. As a result
of this, the Principal dismissed her. Hearing this, Nishikant gets angry, goes
to the Headmaster and accuses him of being an accomplice of Kale and leaves the
service. He then persuades Shama to start a music school, later gets her
engagements in films as a playback singer for which he was asked to write
lyrics. Shama's reputation as a singer grows rapidly in the Marathi public. It
was then that her uncle knowing of it comes to see her and makes insinuations
against Nishikant who is offended and hurt because Shama does not prevent her
uncle but listens to him without a demur. Periodical quarrels are witnessed
because Shama becomes more status minded, begins to think of her wealth and
position and moves into wealthy quarters all of which are against Nishikant's
outlook and temperament. Both began to fall apart and the visits of Nishikant
to Shama became rare. Even though Nishikant lives in poverty, he is too proud
to ask her money and is not willing to live with her on her conditions. He
stays away from her, showing that he has pride, self respect and spirit of
sacrifice. Suddenly a realisation comes to Shama that she had wronged Nishikant
and that she owed everything to him, and therefore has an intense desire for
reconciliation. In this state of affairs When she hears that he is taking part
in the Kavi Samelan on the radio she gets into the car and asks her driver to
drive fast 87 to the radio station. On tiffs pitch of expectant reconciliation
and ultimate reunion the story ends.
The story read as a whole does not, in our
view, amount to its being a pornography nor does it pander to the prurient
interest. It may not be of a very high literary quality and may show immaturity
and insufficient experience of the writer, but in none of the passages referred
to by the complainant do we find anything offending public order or morality.
The High Court itself did not consider the description of Neela when Nishikant
meets her in Goa (at p. 107) objectionable, nor the narration and the description
of the situation which is created for Nishikant and Neela on the way back to
Bombay from Goa when for want of room they had to sleep on a single bed (p.
112) as obscene. The passages at pp. 112, 114, 119-120 and 131 have been found
by the High Court to come within the mischief of s. 292 I.P.C. We have been
taken through the corresponding passages in the English translation and even
allowing for the translation not bringing out the literary or artistic
refinement of the original language, we find little in these passages which
could be said to deprave or corrupt those in whose hands the book is likely to
fall, nor can it be said that any of the passages advocates, as the High Court
seems to think, a licentious behaviour depraving and corrupting the morals of
adolescent youth. We do not think that it can be said with any assurance that
merely because adolescent youth read situations of the type presented in the
book, they would become depraved, debased and encouraged to lasciviousness. It
is possible that they may come across such situations in life and may have to
face them. But if a narration or description of similar situations is given in
a setting emphasising a strong moral to be drawn from it and condemns the
conduct of the erring party as wrong and loathsome it cannot be said that they
have a likelihood of corrupting the morals of those in whose hands it is likely
to fall--particularly the adolescent.
In the passage at pp. 113-114 Nishikant takes
Neela out to show the sights of the city of Bombay but instead takes her to a
picture where after the lights go off, seeing a soldier and his girl friend in
front kissing, they also indulge in kissing. Then as we said earlier, when the
love between them develops Nishikant wanted to marry but the father of the girl
was unwilling.
Neela realising that their love could never
be consummated encourages him to bring it to a culmination. In this way they
enjoy unmarried bliss for a few days until Neela's father takes her away.
We agree with the learned Judge of the High
Court that there is nothing in this or in the subsequent passages relating to
Neela, Vanita and Shama which amounts to poronography nor has the author
indulged in a description of the sex act or used any 88 language which can be
classed as vulgar. Whatever has been done is done in a restrained manner though
in some places there may have been an exhibition of bad taste, leaving it to
the more experienced to draw the inferences, but certainly not sufficient to
suggest to the adolescent anything which is depraving or lascivious. To the
literate public there are available both to the adults and the adolescents
innumerable books which contain references to sex. Their purpose is not, and
they have not the effect of stimulating sex impulses in the reader but may form
part of a work of art or are intended to propagate ideas or to install a moral.
The concept of obscenity would differ from
country to country depending on the standards of morals of contemporary
society. What is considered as a piece of literature in France may be obscene
in England and what is considered in both countries as not harmful to public
order and morals may be obscene in our country. But to insist that the standard
should always be/or the writer to see that the adolescent ought not to be
brought into contact with sex or that if they read any references to sex in
what is written whether that is the dominant theme or not they would be
affected, would be to require authors to write books only for the adolescent
and not for the adults. In early English writings authors wrote only with
unmarried girls in view but society has changed since then to allow
litterateurs and artists to give expression to their ideas, emotions and
objectives with full freedom except that is should not fall within the
definition of 'obscene' having regard to the standards of contemporary society
in which it is read. The standards of contemporary society in India are also
fast changing. The adults and adolescents have available to them a large number
of classics, novels, stories and pieces, of literature which have a content of
sex, love and romance.
As. observed in Udeshi's(1) case if a
reference to sex by itself is considered obscene, no books can be sold except
those which are purely religious. In the field of art and cinema also the
adolescent is. shown situations which even a quarter of a century ago would be
considered derogatory to public morality, but having regard to changed
conditions are more taken for granted without in anyway tending to debase or
debauch the mind. What we have to see is that whether a class, not an isolated
case, into whose hands the book, article or story falls suffer in their moral
outlook or become depraved by reading it or might have impure and lecherous
thought aroused in their minds. The charge of obscenity must, therefore, be
judged from this aspect.
We do not think that any of the impugned
passages which have been held by the High Court as offending s. 292 I.P.C.
can (1) [1965] 1 S.C.R. 65.
89 be said to pervert the morals of the
adolescent or be considered to be obscene. In this view, we allow the appeal,
set aside the conviction and fine. The fine if paid is directed to be refunded.
R.K.P.S. Appeal allowed.
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