Mumbai, September 10, 2026: Representatives of the Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) and the Bajrang Dal have submitted a formal complaint to the Bandra West Police Station against the management of Bandra's G7 Multiplex (commonly known as the Gaiety-Galaxy complex), alleging that an auditorium was illegally used to host an undisclosed religious gathering.
According to the written complaint dated September 8, 2026, a scheduled screening of the movie Hanuman Ansh on September 6 was cancelled without prior notice to ticket holders.
Representatives of the right-wing outfits alleged that the auditorium space was instead leased and utilised for a private religious event without securing mandatory permissions from local authorities, in violation of standard commercial cinema operating protocols.
Complaint Seeks FIR
The complaint alleges potential threats to public order, risk of unlawful religious conversions, and disruption of communal harmony. The complainants have sought the registration of a First Information Report (FIR) under Sections 196 (promoting enmity between different groups), 299 (deliberate and malicious acts intended to outrage religious feelings), and 353 (statements conducing to public mischief) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023.
Speaking on the issue, Santosh Gupta, District Minister for the VHP-Bajrang Dal, stated that organisation members visited the seven-screen facility after receiving reports of the cancelled screening, only to find an unauthorised gathering underway inside the hall.
Gautam Ravaria, Provincial Chief Coordinator for the organisation, accused local authorities of failing to act on their grievance. "Instead of acknowledging our complaint, we were accused of tearing down film posters," Ravaria alleged, claiming that police attempts to frame the multiplex shutdown as a routine licensing issue were misleading.
Multiplex Shutdown Sparks Dispute
The police subsequently shut down operations at the iconic complex on Monday. While police sources indicated the shutdown was linked to non-renewal of operating licences, the complainants maintain the action was tied to the weekend incident.
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Bandra Police Station Senior Inspector Ravindra Salunkhe was unavailable for comment despite calls and messages. Manoj Desai, Executive Director of G7 Multiplex, also did not respond to requests for clarification. In a prior media interaction, Desai attributed the operational disruption and cancelled shows to technical faults, specifically damaged internal cabling that was being restored.
Complex History
Established in 1972 as a three-screen venue, the Gaiety-Galaxy complex later expanded into a seven-screen multiplex.
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