Honey Singh gets relief as PIL against 'Maniac' gets dismissed

Yo Yo Honey Singh received a major relief from the Delhi High Court on Wednesday, 26th March 2025, after it dismissed a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed against his latest song, 'Maniac.' The petitioner, Lavkush Kumar, claimed that the song objectified women and contained vulgar words, especially criticizing its use of the Bhojpuri language. However, the court refused to accept the petition and advised the petitioner to seek legal remedies through civil or criminal law instead, reported Live Law.
Court’s observations
A division bench, including Chief Justice Devendra Kumar Upadhyaya and Justice Tushar Rao Gedela, handled the case. During the hearing, Chief Justice Upadhyaya questioned the petitioner’s argument that the song contained “Bhojpuri vulgarity.” He strongly opposed the idea of linking vulgarity with a specific language or region, saying, “Vulgarity does not have a region. You say

Bhojpuri vulgarity

. What is this? Tomorrow you'll say Delhi is vulgar. Vulgarity is vulgarity. No region.”
The petitioner’s lawyer pointed out that the song had gained millions of views on YouTube and insisted that the court should take action. However, the court made it clear that if the petitioner truly believed the song promoted obscenity, the right step would be to file a complaint or an FIR following legal procedures.

Legal remedies suggested
The bench explained that the case did not fall under the category of a writ petition, as such petitions are mainly meant for actions against the state or public authorities. Instead, this matter involved private law. The judges advised the petitioner to explore available legal options under the correct laws.
One of the judges firmly stated, “If there is an offense and it is cognizable, then please lodge a complaint or FIR. If it is not lodged, you know the procedure.” This clarified that the petitioner had other legal routes available instead of seeking a court ban on the song.
Apart from dismissing the PIL, the judges also criticized the generalization of Bhojpuri music. They remarked, “Everywhere you have said Bhojpuri songs. You cannot justify this. Perhaps you are not aware of the Bhojpuri culture and Bhojpuri songs. Don’t do this.” Following these strong remarks, the petitioner withdrew the PIL. The court granted him the liberty to pursue other legal options. The final statement from the court was, “The petition is dismissed with the liberty as prayed for.”

Neetu Chandra also filed a PIL against ‘Maniac.’
Earlier, actress Neetu Chandra also filed a PIL against the song 'Maniac,' requesting the court to modify its lyrics and regulate such content. She urged the Patna High Court to direct authorities to amend the song’s obscene words. The petition named Yo Yo Honey Singh, Leo Grewal, Ragini Vishwakarma, T-Series, Google, and YouTube as respondents.