Srinagar: A court in Jammu and Kashmir has issued a pre-cognizance notice to the directors and editors of ELLE, the fashion brand that organized a controversial show in Gulmarg on March 7.
The notice dated March 11 has been issued by the Chief Judicial Magistrate (CJM), Srinagar, while hearing a plea filed by the leader of the Awami Ittehad Party (AIP), Adil Nazir Khan, represented through Advocate Naveed Bukhtiyar. The next hearing is on April 8, 2025.
"The notice to the Directors and Editors of ELLE was issued by the court on Tuesday. The court has fixed the next date of hearing for April 8, 2025," the advocate said.
Khan's complaint (279/2025), filed on March 10 before the CJM Srinagar, states that the event included obscenity, public drinking of alcohol, and activities that offended religious sentiments during the holy month of Ramadan. The complaint names fashion house Shivan & Narresh, as well as models who took part, for violating Section 210 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and Section 50-A of the Jammu and Kashmir Excise Act, 1958.
The development follows a massive public outcry over the event. Fashion designers Shivan & Narresh, who were associated with the show, had also apologized shortly after the controversy erupted.
Kashmir's chief cleric, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, also reacted to the issue, urging respect for local religious and customary practices. The Chief Minister's Office (CMO) has, in the meanwhile, taken note of the matter, and officials are keeping a close watch on the developments.
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