Officials in Soup as Theatres flout Order on Kochadaiiyaan
CHENNAI: A contempt petition has been moved against top officials of the Commercial Taxes and Registration Department after film exhibitors and authorities started collecting levy from the viewers of Rajinikanth’s latest film ‘Kochadaiiyaan’ despite Madras High Court direction not to do so.
Hearing a petition filed by S Muthiah, the High Court bench comprising Acting chief Justice of Madras High Court Satish K Agnihotri and Justice M M Sundaresh granted one week’s time to S K Prabakar, Principal Secretary of Commercial Taxes and Registration Department and Commercial Taxes Commissioner K Rajaraman to produce an affidavit of compliance.
Muthiah, in his petition, stated that except Devi Theatres in Chennai, no other cinema hall owners had shown any regard to the High Court order to not to collect any levy from the viewers.
Muthiah said that the issue involved in this case is a collection of revenue for the benefit of government as well as the public. Hence, the administrative heads of the department have to be clear and see that there was no loss to the government. “But in this case, they are not bothered about the revenue of the government,” he stated.
Alleging that the officials knowingly contravened the order of High court, the petitioner said if the administrative head has no respect for the order of the High Court, then who would respect the court.