CHENNAI: THE Madras High Court has permitted the office-bearers of Tamil Film Producers Council to go ahead with its annual general body meeting, scheduled to be held at Kalaivanar Arangam on December 10, subject to certain conditions.
Justice C V Karthikeyan, who granted the permission while passing interim orders on applications arising out of a batch of civil suits on Thursday, also appointed Justice R S Ramanathan, a retired judge of the Madras High Court, as an observer to monitor the proceedings.
The judge was passing interim orders on a batch of suits from Kishore and Vadivel and others, all producers, challenging the proposed amendments to bye-law 3(e) and 13 of the council, which they alleged would alter the present meaning of the regular producer and introduce a new law to the effect that to enrol as a regular producer and to enjoy the voting right, he/she should have had released three films.
The judge said the general body meeting shall proceed on the date, time and place and there can also be a discussion with regard to Agenda No 6 relating to introduction of new bye-laws and voting. But the result shall not be declared except with court permission, the judge added.
Plaintiffs counsel insisted that to ensure that the meeting is held in a conducive atmosphere, the presence of an observer would be of much help. The council, being a body of respectable persons, would be able to regulate the meet by themselves. But since it is insisted that the resolution is to be discussed and later to be confirmed by court, it is just and necessary that an observer is appointed. Accordingly, Justice Ramanathan is appointed.
The judge ordered notice on the main suits, returnable by December 13.