HC directs official to consider plea by film distributors

Madras High Court today directed Chennai city Commissioner of Police to consider representation of distributors of Rajinikanth-starrer "Lingaa" for conducting hunger strike on Saturday demanding compensation of "loss" from the producers and the actor as the film was a "failure."
Justice Sivagnam direct the authority to consider the petitioners request on merits and pass orders in accordance with law on or before January nine by 11 AM.
Marina Pictures, Vijayabhargavi Entertainment, Sukra Films, Capricorn Pictures and Chandrakala Movies, who were the distributors of the film for various areas in Tamil Nadu had filed petitions in the court to direct the Police Commissioner to grant permission for the fast.

The petitioners submitted that the distributors and exhibitors along with the theatre owners met the producers and Rajinikanth and requested them to compensate the "huge loss" incurred to them due to screening of the film. But it did not yield any result. To express their grievance, they decided to conduct the fast, they said.
They submitted that when they approached the Police Commissioner personally seeking permission for the fast, he refused to meet them following which they sent their request by registered post.
As there was no response from the official, they approached the court, the petitioners submitted.

Special Government Pleader submitted that the proposed fast was against a private person and therefore it cannot be decided on merits.

Disposing the petitions, Justice T S Sivagnanam, while referring to an earlier order of the Madras High Court in which it was stated that there is nothing that prevents individuals and organisations from taking the issues to the public to create awareness, in his order said "in the light of the above reasoning as stated by the learned counsel for the respondent that is a private cause which cannot be converted into public cause cannot be a reason straight away to throw out writ petition."
Since their earlier representations are pending before the authority, "I hereby direct the respondent to consider the petitioners request on merits and pass orders in accordance with law on or before January nine by 11 AM".