Filmmaker Ram Gopal Varma booked for upcoming film Murder

Filmmaker Ram Gopal Varma was booked on Saturday by Telangana police in connection with his recently announced movie Murder, based on an alleged incident of honour killing. According to a report by the digital news platform, thenewsminute.com, a case against Varma and producer Natti Karuna was registered at the Miryalaguda Town-I police station in Nalgonda district in Telengana.

The report further added that Varma and the producer have been booked under section 153A (promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, race, place of birth, residence, language, etc and doing acts prejudicial to maintenance of harmony) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and other sections of the Scheduled Castes/Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Amendment Act.

The directive to book Varma and the film’s producer was issued by court following a petition by P Balaswamy, whose son Pranay Perumalla was murdered in 2018 by his father-in-law Maruthi Rao, who refused to accept the marriage as the victim belonged to a lower caste. Varma's film is based on this incident.

On Father’s Day, Varma had announced that he’s making a film based on the relationship between Maruthi Rao and his daughter Amrutha. "On the occasion of Father's Day, I am launching the first look poster of a film based on the tragic story of Amrutha and her over loving father Maruthi Rao," he had tweeted. "This is going to be a heart wrenching story based on the Amrutha and Maruthi Rao saga of the dangers of a father loving a daughter too much," he added.

Moving court last month, Balaswamy had sought a ban on the film. He also said that photos of his son and daughter-in-law Amrutha were being used without his consent.