In a significant move, the Telangana High Court has initiated suo-motu contempt proceedings against the Special Chief Secretary (Home department), CV Anand, for permitting a hike in ticket prices for the latest Tollywood release, Mana Shankara Vara Prasad Garu, starring Chiranjeevi and Nayantara.
The court took this step following a petition filed by Dachepally Chandra Babu, an advocate from LB Nagar, who expressed concern over the repeated violation of High Court orders regarding movie ticket prices. The bench of Justice NV Shravan Kumar passed the directions, noting that the orders allowing certain movies to increase their ticket prices were in contravention of the court’s earlier rulings and existing regulations.
Chandra Babu’s counsel, Vijay Gopal, argued that the memo authorizing movie makers to hike ticket prices was issued illegally and urged the court to suspend the memo and initiate contempt proceedings against the officer. The petitioner had initially moved a house motion on January 10 but the court refused to take up the matter during its vacation period, prompting Chandra Babu to file a fresh petition.
This latest development underscores the High Court’s commitment to upholding regulations and ensuring fair practices in various sectors, including the entertainment industry. The outcome of this contempt proceeding will be closely watched as it could set a precedent for future cases involving similar violations.
