Hours after the Madras high court directed the Central Board of Film Certification to forthwith clear actor-politician Vijay’s Tamil film, Jana Nayagan, a division bench of the same court on January 9 stayed the order passed by the single judge earlier in the day. The first bench of Chief Justice Manindra Mohan Shrivastava and Justice G. Arul Murugan granted the interim stay on an appeal moved by the CBFC immediately after the single judge passed the order.
The bench observed that the CBFC was not granted sufficient time to respond to the plea moved by KVN Productions LLP, producers of the film. It also noted that the CBFC’s directive referring the film to the revising committee was quashed by the single judge while the same was not even challenged by the producers.
The bench remarked that the producers were creating urgnecy and putting pressure on the court after announcing the release date even before obtaining the censor certificate.
Representing the CBFC, solicitor general Tushar Mehta said that the single judge cannot order a relief that was not sought. The referral order of the CBFC chairman to the revising committee was not challenged. Yet, the single judge quashed it, said Mehta.
Appearing for the producers, advocate Mukul Rohatgi said that it was shocking that a member of the CBFC’s examining committee, which reviewed the film, filed a complaint against granting a certificte to the film.