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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Baramati plane crash: CID questions VSR Ventures owner
Pune (PTI): The Maharashtra Crime Investigation Department on Thursday questioned V K Singh, owner of VSR Ventures, which operated the aircraft involved in the Baramati crash that killed deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar, a CID officer said.
“The statement of V K Singh is being recorded,” said the CID officer, without disclosing more details about the questioning, which was still underway.
A Learjet 45 aircraft, operated by VSR Ventures, crashed near the Baramati air strip in Pune district on January 28, killing Pawar and four others.
After the plane crash, an accidental death report was registered at the Baramati Taluka police station, and the case was later transferred to the Pune CID. Earlier, the state agency had said that its focus was to ascertain if sabotage or criminal negligence led to the Baramati tragedy.
Days before V K Singh's questioning, the CID had sent a set of questions to VSR Ventures in connection with its investigation into the plane crash, according to a source.
NCP (SP) MLA Rohit Pawar had alleged on Wednesday that someone was trying to save VSR Ventures, and claimed that a preliminary probe by the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) vindicated the doubts earlier raised by him.
In its 22-page preliminary report on the air tragedy, the AAIB said the visibility at the time of the crash was below the required level. It also flagged fading marks on the runway and the presence of loose gravel on the runway surface.
A few days ago, Ajit Pawar’s son Jay Pawar had shared a purported video on social media alleging that V K Singh's son Rohit Singh was seen dozing off in the chief pilot’s seat during a flight, and demanded his immediate arrest.
He had also demanded that all aircraft of VSR Ventures be grounded till the inquiry into his father’s plane crash is completed.
