Don't arrest 'Sarkar' director till Nov 27: HC to police
Chennai, Nov 9: The Madras High Court Friday restrained police from arresting director of Tamil film "Sarkar" A R Murugadoss till November 27 on complaints related to some scenes opposed by the ruling AIADMK in the state.
Justice G K Ilanthirayan passed the interim order on the anticipatory bail petition filed by Murugadoss, who apprehended arrest over complaints filed in connection with the "objectionable" scenes.
AIADMK workers staged protests against the film Thursday after several ministers took exception to scenes in the film criticising welfare schemes and a reference to late chief minister J Jayalalithaa.
When the petition came up for hearing, police informed the judge that only preliminary investigation was being conducted on the complaints against Murugadoss.
Certain scenes in the film, which show grinder, mixers and fans being burnt, have created law and order problem, they submitted.
Counsel for the petitioner contended that the protests by the AIADMK workers against the film which had been certified by the Censor Board was totally unlawful.
He also claimed that the director had dealt with "real problems" faced by the people and no viewer had objected to it.
The counsel also informed the judge that the objectionable portions had already been removed from the film.
The judge later adjourned the petition to November 27 for further hearing.
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Metro ridership in Haryana sees over 13 pc rise in 2025-26
Chandigarh (PTI): Haryana's urban transit system witnessed a strong growth in 2025-26, with metro ridership registering a robust 13.55 per cent increase, the state government said in a statement on Thursday.
The progress was reviewed in the 64th board meeting of Haryana Mass Rapid Transport Corporation (HMRTC) chaired by Chief Secretary Anurag Rastogi.
Between April 2025 and February 2026, the metro network recorded over 1.74 crore passengers, compared to 1.53 crore in the corresponding period the previous year.
July recorded the highest monthly growth at 22.93 per cent, while all months showed consistent positive trends.
Financial performance has also remained strong, with fare revenue rising 12.64 per cent till January 2026, the statement said.
Non-fare revenue surged by 108 per cent, driven by effective monetisation of station spaces, advertisements and commercial activities, resulting in an operating surplus for Rapid Metro.
Further initiatives, including the auction of station naming rights and additional advertisement sites, are expected to strengthen HMRTC's financial position, the statement said.
Appreciating the performance, Rastogi stated that the consistent rise in ridership and revenue reflects the success of Haryana's integrated transport strategy, rising commuter confidence and a clear shift towards public transport.
HMRTC Managing Director Chander Shekhar Khare said that, alongside operational gains, the state is making steady progress on an ambitious pipeline of metro and regional transit projects.
Metro connectivity from Gurugram Sector 56 to Panchgaon is under active consideration, with Haryana State Industrial and Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited studying the Detailed Project Report (DPR) and layout plan, and finalising a depot location in Sector 36A near Sihi village, he said.
The Gurugram-Faridabad Namo Bharat corridor has achieved a key milestone, with alignment and station locations finalised and approved by the Haryana government. The National Capital Region Transport Corporation is preparing the DPR, he added.
Similarly, the Delhi-Kundli metro extension is proposed to be placed before the Haryana Cabinet for approval.
The 136.3-kilometre Delhi-Panipat-Karnal RRTS Corridor has also progressed, with the revised DPR submitted for financial concurrence ahead of Haryana Cabinet consideration.
Within Gurugram, DPR preparation has been approved for key intra-city corridors, including the 17.09-kilometre Bhondsi-Subhash Chowk-Rajeev Chowk-Sohna Chowk Railway Station corridor, enhancing connectivity along Sohna Road, Khare said.
