MUMBAI: A public interest litigation (PIL) has been filed before the Bombay high court seeking a ban on the certification of ‘obscene and vulgar’ movies by the censor board. The PIL by Kalyan resident Vijay Bhosale has claimed that such movies have led to an increase in the crime rate, including those against women. A division bench of chief justice Mohit Shah and justice Burgess Colabawalla, on Monday, directed the Union government to furnish guidelines for certifying movies.

The PIL by the petitioner, represented by advocate Manoj Patil, read, ‘‘Vulgar and obscene films are being certified by the censor board for screening in theatres.” The petitioner claimed that youngsters imitate the actors and this affects the society. The PIL said that such obscene films also lead to an increase in crime and offences against women. The next hearing has been scheduled for November 17.

