The Madras High Court on Friday dismissed a writ petition by the Tamil Nadu Film Exhibitors’ Association challenging the proceedings of the Competition Commission of India, New Delhi, initiated at the instance of Raaj Kamal Film International (RKFI), a film production company.
Justice K.K. Sasidharan also rejected a writ petition by the association seeking a direction to Chennai Police Commissioner to register its complaint against RKFI and take follow-up action.
The association submitted that it had extended its support to RKFI to release the film ‘Vishwaroopam’. It received a notice from the Competition Commission stating that the film production company had filed a complaint against the Tamil Nadu Theatre Owners’ Association.
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The petitioner said the association was an unregistered body. Since the film exhibitors’ association had nothing to do with the theatre owners’ association, the present writ petition was filed seeking the quashing of the proceedings of the Commission.
An alleged resolution passed by the theatre owners’ association on December 20, 2012, led to RKFI filing the complaint.
According to the complaint, the resolution stated it had been unanimously resolved at the joint meeting held by the theatre owners’ association and the Tamil Nadu Film Distributors’ Association that cooperation should not be extended for releasing films which had already been released through DTH.
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The Commission arrived at a prima facie opinion that a case had been made out and issued notice to the petitioner.
The genuineness of the resolution produced by RKFI before the Commission was disputed by the petitioner. It maintained that it was a fabricated one.