New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Friday quashed a criminal case in Hyderabad against Malayalam actress Priya Prakash Varrier for her winking scene in the forthcoming film Oru Adaar Love after holding that the picturisation of the popular folk song dedicated to Prophet Mohammad and his wife did not offend the sentiments of anybody.

A bench of Justices Dipak Misra and Justices A.M. Khanwilkar and D.Y. Chandrachud observed orally that persons like the petitioner - Muqeeth Khan - seemed to have nothing to do but file FIRs claiming some criminality or the other against people.

The court ruled that in future too no complaint shall be entertained in any part of the country against the picturisation of the song and restrained police from registering complaints against Priya or others related to the film in connection with the song - Manikya Malaraya Poovi.

Priya, the director and the producer of the movie had been booked under IPC Section 295A, that punishes any act intended to insult the sentiments of a religious group, at Falaknuma police station, Hyderabad, on February 14, hours after the video clip of the winking scene had gone viral.

According to Khan, he had no complaint against the original song as it has been in the public domain since 1978. However, he felt the religious sentiments of the Muslim community had been hurt by the manner in which the film had picturised the song.

The bench, while quashing the case, said: "Such an allegation (blasphemy), even if it is true, would not come within the ambit and sweep of Section 295A IPC. We do not perceive any calculated tendency adopted by the petitioners to insult or disturb the public order or invite the wrath of Section 295A."