JUDGMENT

Bharucha, J.-Special leave granted.

2. These appeals impugn the judgment and order of a Division Bench of the High Court of Delhi in Letter Patent appeals. The Letters Patent appeals challenged the judgment and order of a learned single Judge allowing a writ petition. The Letters Patent appeals were dismissed, subject to a direction to the Union of India (the second respondent). The writ petition was filed by the first respondent to quash the certificate of exhibition awarded to the film "Bandit Queen" and to restrain its exhibition in India.

3. The film deals with the life of Phoolan Devi. It is based upon a true story. Still a child, Phoolan Devi was married off to a man old enough to be her father. She was beaten and raped by him. She was tormented by the boys of the village; and beaten by them when she foiled the advances of one of them. A village panchayat called after the incident blamed Phoolan Devi for attempting to entice the boy, who belonged to a higher caste. Consequent upon the decision of the village panchayat, Phoolan Devi had to leave the village. She was then arrested by the police and subjected to indignity and humiliation in the police station. Upon the int