The Karnataka High Court on Friday restrained the State government from presenting the Third Best Kannada Film award for 2010–11 in the award presentation ceremony to be held in Dharwad on Sunday.
Justice Jawad Rahim passed the interim order on a petition filed by Renukumar of Renu Digital Studios, questioning government’s decision to cancel the Third Best Film award for his film Shabdamani for 2010–11.
He had contended that the award was withdrawn without hearing or intimating him.
The government reconstituted the Film Awards Advisory Committee after litigation in the High Court last year over selection of Super as the Best Film and cancelled all the selections made by the committee following allegation that a few members had conflict of interest as some of their films were considered for the awards.
Fresh selections were made after reconstituting the committee during August–October 2013, and Manasa was chosen for the Third Best Film award in place of Shabdamani .
DecisionThe court said it would decide on the power of the State government to withdraw the award, rights of the award winners and other issues that required legal consideration in respect to the provisions of the Karnataka State Award for Feature Film Rules, 1984.
