Kerala HC declines to entertain PIL against 'The Kerala Story 2'
Kochi (PTI): The Kerala High Court on Thursday declined to entertain a PIL seeking to change the title of the film 'The Kerala Story 2-Goes Beyond' and pulled up the petitioners for casting aspersions on the division bench, which paved the way for the movie's release.
A bench of Chief Justice Soumen Sen and Justice Syam Kumar V M was severely critical of certain remarks in the public interest litigation by Chandramohanan K C, a retired teacher and social activist, and Mehnaz P Mohammed, a lawyer.
When the matter was taken up, the bench pointed out that petitions related to the movie were pending before a single judge bench and a division bench and therefore, it would not be appropriate for it to take up the PIL.
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Chief Justice Sen said it would be better that the division bench, which is hearing the appeal by the film's producers, hears the instant matter.
However, when it noted certain remarks in the PIL, filed through advocate Chelson Chembarathy, the bench-headed by the Chief Justice was displeased and questioned how such comments were included in the petition.
It criticised the petitioners and their advocate for filing such a PIL, following which advocate Chembarathy apologised unconditionally several times.
The bench, thereafter, disposed of the PIL and allowed the petitioners to file a fresh plea after removing the portions which cast an aspersion on the division bench, which paved way for the movie's release.
A bench of justices Sushrut Arvind Dharmadhikari and P V Balakrishnan had on February 27 paved for the film's release by staying a single judge order of the same day, putting on hold the movie's screening for 15 days.
The interim order by the division bench had come on an appeal moved by the film's producer Vipul Amrutlal Shah.
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Maharashtra transporters launch stir against e-challans; indefinite strike from Thursday midnight
Mumbai (PTI): Transporters across Maharashtra on Thursday launched a statewide “chakka jam” to protest against “arbitrary and excessive” e-challans and other issues faced by the sector, and threatened to go on an indefinite strike from midnight.
The state Transport Commissioner’s office has directed all Regional Transport Offices (RTOs) to activate separate control rooms in their jurisdictions to track the protest and share information about any incident that could lead to a law and order situation, an official said.
After the last round of negotiations held at the Maharashtra Transport Commissioner’s office on Wednesday evening remained inconclusive, the Maharashtra Transport Action Committee (M-TAC) said that it would go ahead with the strike.
According to M-TAC representatives, transporters will stage protests at Azad Maidan in Mumbai and outside the Regional Transport Office (RTO) premises in other parts of the state before going on strike from midnight.
M-TAC said school buses, contract carriage buses, private buses and commercial vehicles, including trucks, tempos, taxis and tankers, would remain off the roads during the indefinite agitation. The transporters have also threatened to bring their vehicles to protest sites.
Anil Garg, a leader of the School Bus Owners Association, had said on Wednesday that school buses across the state would not operate from Friday if the indefinite strike happened, though their services would remain unaffected on Thursday.
Earlier this week, Maharashtra Transport Minister Pratap Sarnaik also held a meeting with transporters at the MSRTC headquarters here, but M-TAC said the talks remained unfruitful due to what it described as “hollow assurances” from the government.
Sarnaik had appealed to the transporters to withdraw their agitation, stating that the government was positive about cancelling “unjust” e-challans issued to parked vehicles and would take a favourable decision on the matter.
A senior department official said that the Transport Commissioner’s office has asked all RTOs to activate control rooms and alert it in the case of any incident with the potential to create a law and order situation.
All RTOs have been asked to submit a detailed and factual report before 5 pm every day till the strike continues, the official said.
The report should include information such as the impact of the strike in their jurisdiction, the status of essential commodities and passenger movement, preventive steps taken to provide relief to the public, and issues faced during the strike, he said.
M-TAC said the agitation is being organised against what it termed “arbitrary and excessive” electronic traffic enforcement and the mounting financial burden on the transport sector.
The charter of demands submitted by M-TAC to the government earlier this year includes major reforms to the e-challan system, a waiver of pending fines and a reduction in taxes and toll charges imposed on commercial vehicles.
M-TAC leaders claimed the e-challan system has caused hardship not only to transport operators but also to ordinary vehicle owners.
The action committee has also sought the withdrawal or relaxation of a proposed amendment to rules issued in January 2026, requiring transporters to clear e-challan penalties within 45 days, failing which they would face restrictions on essential services such as permit renewal, fitness certification and other regulatory approvals.
“As per Rule 468 and amended Rule 514 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, all time-barred e-challans should be cancelled if cases are not filed in court,” the charter of demands stated.
M-TAC has also demanded the closure of highway check posts and the establishment of rest houses or centres for drivers. It has sought fire tenders and emergency service facilities on highways, provisions for parking lots, bus stops and cargo loading and unloading facilities.
The transporters have further called for a review of the repeated retrofitting of devices such as panic buttons, vehicle location tracking devices, high-security registration plates, fire detection and suppression systems, and CCTV cameras, which they claim are mandated under the pretext of safety.
They have demanded the suspension of what they described as unfeasible and abrupt “no entry” restrictions that cause operational difficulties and have urged the government to adopt a more consultative approach.
