CHENNAI: Holding that not mentioning the rate in tickets for admission into cinema theatres will amount to unfair trade practice, a consumer forum in Chengalpattu has directed Vetri Theatre at Chromepet to pay a compensation of Rs 25,000 to a cinema-goer for causing mental agony to him.
According to V Mahalingam of Guduvanchery, he went to the theatre, situated on GST Road, to see Tamil movie Rajini Murugan, starring Siva Karthikeyan, on January 21, 2016.
He wanted to buy a second class ticket. But he was told there was no second class ticket and asked to buy the first class ticket. He was asked to pay Rs 100 for the same.
To his shock, he noticed there was no mention about the admission fee in the ticket.
The State government, by a GO dated May 20, 2009, had fixed the minimum fare of Rs 5 and the maximum of Rs 40 for Vetri theatre as it came under the municipality jurisdiction, but it did not comply with the same.
This practice, denying second class tickets to the public and charging exorbitant rate of Rs 100 or more for a ticket and the practice of not mentioning the admission fee in the ticket were all against the law and against the rights of consumers.
The theatre, to promote the sale of tickets, had been adopting unlawful, deceptive and unfair trade practice, thereby violating the rights of consumers, Mahalingam, appearing party-in-person, contended.
The theatre management did not respond.
Passing ex-parte orders, the forum led by its President K Sivananthajothi and Members K Prameela and D Babu Varadharajan held that the theatre management was indulging in unfair trade practice and thereby committed deficiency in service.
It directed the management to mention the rate in the tickets as per the May 2009 GO and to discontinue the unfair trade practice and to pay Rs 25,000 as compensation for mental agony to the complainant.
It was also directed to pay Rs 5,000 towards the cost of the proceedings to the complainant.
The order should be complied within two months, failing which, the above sum will carry a nine per cent interest, the forum said.