NEW DELHI: Even as the Supreme Court is to take up the case relating to Prakash Jha‘s film Aarakshan on Friday, the Patna High Court has dismissed a public interest litigation (PIL) requesting the Court to stop the release of the film in Bihar.

Petitioner Pramod Kumar Singh had demanded a stay on the release of the film fearing breach of peace in the state. Singh had said that certain comments, allegedly made in the film, were "against the constitutional provisions".

A division bench of the Patna High Court comprising Justice SK Katriar and Justice A Amanullah, however, dismissed the petition, saying a similar petition filed in the Bombay High Court was dismissed on 9 August.

The bench further observed that as the film had already been released in Bihar on 12 August and no breach of peace took place since then, the application had been rendered infructuous.

Even as the Uttar Pradesh Government gears itself to protect its ban of the film before the Apex Court tomorrow, it is learnt that the state exchequer lost revenue worth about Rs 40 million due to the ban.

Estimates made by entertainment department said that window sales on the first weekend alone would have generated around Rs 25 million. By Tuesday, the amount was expected to cross Rs 40 million mark.