SC rejects Ilaiyaraaja’s plea for transfer of copyright case from Bombay HC to Madras HC
New Delhi(PTI): The Supreme Court on Monday dismissed a plea of legendary music composer Ilaiyaraaja seeking to transfer a copyright dispute involving over 500 of his musical compositions from the Bombay High Court to the Madras High Court.
A bench comprising Chief Justice B R Gavai and Justices K Vinod Chandran and NV Anjaria did not agree to the submissions of senior advocate Gopal Sankaranarayanan, appearing for the musician, that the case be transferred to the Madras High Court.
At the outset, the counsel for Sony Music Entertainment told the bench that the case by the firm was filed in the Bombay High Court when no case was pending in the Madras High Court.
The plea is dismissed, the bench said.
The legal case started from a lawsuit initiated by Sony Music Entertainment India in 2022 before the Bombay High Court. Sony has sought an injunction to restrain Ilaiyaraaja Music N Management Pvt Ltd (IMMPL) from using 536 musical works.
The company claims it acquired the rights to these works through Oriental Records and Echo Recording, the entity with which Ilaiyaraaja has long been embroiled in litigation.
The IMMPL, however, alleged that 310 of the 536 disputed works are already under judicial scrutiny in a parallel case before the Madras High Court.
That case, originally filed by Ilaiyaraaja in 2014 against Echo Recording, challenges the latter’s claim over his compositions and seeks recognition of the composer’s moral and economic rights under the Copyright Act.
The 2014 Madras suit led to a significant 2019 judgment, which upheld Ilaiyaraaja’s moral and special rights as a composer.
Ilaiyaraaja is one of India’s most prolific composers with over 7,500 songs across 1,500 films.
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Belagavi youth’s murder case projected as road accident, cracked in Uttara Kannada; Three arrested
Karwar: Uttara Kannada police have cracked a murder case in which a Belagavi youth was killed and his body burnt inside a car to make it appear like a road accident.
Addressing a press meet in the city, Superintendent of Police Deepan M.N. said three accused from Old Hubballi have been arrested in connection with the case. The crime was a pre-planned act driven by personal enmity, he said.
The case came to light on April 8 morning when a car (KA-04/MJ-8996) was found completely burnt in a roadside ditch near Talekumbri bus stand in Yellapur. Only charred human remains were found inside the vehicle. Initially, it was suspected to be an accident caused by overspeeding, and a case was registered at Yellapur police station based on a complaint filed by the deceased’s father, Jagannath Dhapale.
However, the father later expressed suspicion that his son’s death was not accidental, prompting a detailed investigation.
Taking the matter seriously, two special teams were formed under the leadership of Yellapur Inspector Ramesh Hanapur. On analysing technical evidence and CCTV footage, police found that it was a planned murder.
The accused have been identified as Abdul Raheem Basheer Ahmed Mujawar (32), Maulasab Bavahan Wada (36) and Dadapeer alias Aftab Mehboob Saab Balasangi (22), all chicken traders from Old Hubballi.
Police have seized the car used in the crime along with two scooters. The accused have been remanded to judicial custody.
Investigations revealed that the accused killed Nitesh Dhapale due to personal enmity and later set the car on fire along with the body to project it as an accident.
SP Deepan M.N. appreciated the efforts of Inspector Ramesh Hanapur, PSIs Rajashekhar Vandali and Siddappa Gudi, and the entire team for solving the complex case.
