End credits roll on adult film case after 21-year interval, 109 viewers acquitted

Ahmedabad: A movie show that once raised eyebrows and summoned police sirens finally reached its closing scene after 21 years — but it played to an empty house. None of the more than 100 viewers arrested for allegedly watching a pornographic film turned up when the court rolled the end credits on the case earlier this month and acquitted all the accused.The case dates back to Jan 2, 2005, when Ghatlodia police, acting on a tip-off, raied Krishna Laser Cinema on suspicion that a pornographic film was being screened. The movie playing at the time was titled ‘Umang', an adult film not licensed by the censor board for public exhibition.The raid netted 109 viewers along with the theatre owner, Rajendra Patel, and projectionist Naresh Parmar.for unlicensed public exhibition and the alleged viewing of obscene material. Criminal proceedings were instituted before a judicial magistrate in the Ahmedabad rural court.As the years rolled by, the accused stopped appearing before the court. In Oct 2025, the magistrate decided to conduct the trial in absentia under Section 299 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC), citing the prolonged absence of the accused despite repeated summons and warrants.The police, who had spoiled the show for the viewers, appeared less enthusiastic in their role as investigators and prosecutors. Only two police constables were examined as witnesses, and no independent witness was produced. The key witness — police sub-inspector N R Yadav, on whose information the raid was carried out — had passed away in 2010.The court found the prosecution evidence insufficient for conviction, particularly in the absence of independent witnesses. "The accused persons cannot be convicted merely on the basis of the testimony of police witnesses, as no independent witness has been examined," the court observed.While acquitting all the accused, the court noted, "The present case has been pending for nearly 21 years. It is meaningless to follow the procedure of keeping the accused present for the pronouncement of the judgment. No evidence has been presented in this case which can establish the guilt of the accused beyond reasonable doubt."