Delhi HC rejects plea alleging vulgarity in Honey Singh’s song ‘Maniac’

Delhi High Court refuses plea against Honey Singh's 'Maniac' song, advises petitioner to lodge FIR for obscenity.

The Delhi High Court on Wednesday (March 26, 2025) refused to entertain a plea which claimed Honey Singh’s latest song ‘Maniac’ portrays women as “sexual objects” and he should be directed to amend the lyrics.

A bench of Chief Justice D.K. Upadhyaya and Tushar Rao Gedela pulled up the counsel for the petitioner for using the phrase “Bhojpuri vulgarity” during an argument.

“What is this ‘Bhojpuri vulgarity’? Vulgarity does not have any religion or region. It should be unqualified. Never ever say Bhojpuri vulgarity. What is this? Vulgar is vulgar. Obscene is obscene. Tomorrow you will say Delhi is vulgar. Vulgarity is vulgarity. No region,” the bench said.

The counsel for petitioner— Lavkush Kumar said the song was gaining popularity on the Internet and action should be taken. The court, however, said the petitioner could lodge an FIR if he was aggrieved by the lyrics.

“We cannot issue any writ. Writs are issued against states, State instrumentality. Your matter is not in public law. It is in private law. If you are hurt from obscenity, then there is remedy under the criminal law system. Lodge an FIR or a complaint,” the court remarked.

As the court was not inclined to entertain the plea, the petitioner’s counsel sought to withdraw the petition.

The petition alleged that the song promoted explicit sexualisation, used double entendre, by depicting women as objects of sexual desire.