Chandigarh, March 20: The Punjab and Haryana High Court has granted interim relief to Bollywood rapper Badshah by staying his arrest in connection with his controversial song ‘Tattiari’. The court’s intervention follows a series of escalating directives from the Haryana State Commission for Women, which had ordered the Panchkula and Panipat police to take the artist into custody and confiscate his passport.
The legal friction intensified on Friday when Commission Chairperson Renu Bhatia issued an arrest warrant after Badshah failed to appear at a scheduled hearing in Panipat. Although the rapper’s legal team requested additional time and suggested a video conference citing security concerns, the Commission rejected these pleas. Bhatia affirmed that the Commission was prepared to take the strictest possible action to protect the dignity of women, noting that the song’s lyrics and video contained highly objectionable content.
The High Court’s stay effectively halts the lookout notice previously issued against the singer. Badshah’s counsel argued that his absence was due to prior professional commitments rather than a lack of respect for the law. However, the Women’s Commission maintained that the summons sent on March 6 was clear, and his continued absence by the 3 p.m. deadline on Friday necessitated the order for immediate detention.
The case centers on two separate FIRs registered in Haryana alleging that the lyrics of ‘Tattiari’ are obscene and portray women in an inappropriate light. While the High Court has provided temporary protection from arrest, the underlying investigation into the song’s content remains active. The Commission asserted that it remains committed to ensuring accountability for media content that demeans women, regardless of the artist’s celebrity status.
Read more: Haryana Women’s Commission orders arrest of Badshah
