Indian Catholic group protests 'Da Vinci'

BOMBAY, May 9 (UPI) -- Bombay residents burned copies of Dan Brown's bestseller "The Da Vinci Code" Tuesday and called for a ban of Sony Pictures' upcoming film.

The Ron Howard film is scheduled to open in New Delhi on May 19, The Hollywood Reporter said.

Joseph Dias of the Catholic Secular Forum said his group plans to picket Sony Pictures' office in Bombay.

"We will also file a petition asking for a ban on its release," he said.

A Sony official told The Reporter the film would be released on schedule in India and denied local reports of any kind of delay.