Karnataka HC orders stay on fine imposed on PVR Cinemas for delayed start of movie
Bengaluru: The Karnataka High Court on Monday stayed the fine imposed by the Bengaluru Urban District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission on PVR Cinemas for delaying the screening of cinemas by playing advertisements and also opined that the Commission order was beyond its jurisdiction limits in certain aspects.
The Commission had issued the order, following a complaint by one Abishek MR in January 2024 that PVR Cinemas had played a movie about 30 minutes later than the scheduled time due to advertisements as a result of which he could not return to office on time. The Commissioner had instructed PVR Cinemas to pay its customer Rs 1.28 as fine, stressing on the need to use time in an effective manner and not waste it.
Justice M Nagaprasanna heard the case on Monday, following a counter complaint being filed by Multiplex Association of India.
Senior lawyer Mukul Rohatgi said that the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting had made it mandatory for movie theatres to screen public awareness videos for five minutes. Stating that showing trailers of other movies and advertisements was a business model, he said that it was ‘normal’ for a movie to start 15-20 minutes later than scheduled and stated that the consumer court had made it mandatory for theatres to print on the ticket the time at which advertisements would start.
Rohatgi also said that the Commission had no power to impose fines on theatres for delayed start of screening of movies.
The HC, hearing the petition, concurred that the Commission had no power to direct theatres on the way a movie should be run, adding that the forum had answered to the petition filed by the complainant forgetting that it lacked jurisdiction powers.
Justice Nagaprasanna passed an interim order of stay on the fine imposed on PVR Cinemas until the next hearing on March 27.
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Man rapes 13-year-old stepdaughter in Beed; booked
Beed, Apr 13 (PTI): A 13-year-old girl was allegedly sexually assaulted by her stepfather in Maharashtra's Beed district, police said on Monday.
Based on a complaint, the police have registered a case under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act in connection with the incident, which occurred on April 9, an official said.
According to police, the teen's mother divorced her first husband nine years ago and married the accused, with whom she has a son.
On the afternoon of April 9, the accused allegedly sexually assaulted his stepdaughter while his wife was away and threatened her into silence, the official said.
He said that the assault came to light when the mother returned home and noticed a change in her daughter's behaviour and questioned her. The girl narrated the ordeal, following which a complaint was lodged at the Kaij police station.
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