BENGALURU: The Karnataka High Court passed an interim order, staying the order passed by a consumer commission imposing a penalty of Rs 1 lakh on PVR Cinemas and PVR Inox Ltd for allegedly displaying ads beyond the scheduled time. The consumer commission had also issued certain directions to them on showing ads.
Justice M Nagaprasanna passed the order of stay till March 27, the next date of hearing, after hearing the petition filed by the Multiplex Association of India and one other, questioning the order dated February 15, 2025.
The Bengaluru Urban District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission passed the impugned order, while partly allowing the complaint filed by Abhishek MR, an advocate. The commission directed PVR to pay Rs 20,000 to the complainant for causing mental agony and inconvenience through unfair trade practice and Rs 8,000 towards the cost of litigation.
The petitioner’s counsel contended before the high court that the consumer forum accepted the complaint and answered it as if it had jurisdiction akin to a public interest petition and indulged in discourses as to how a movie show should be run and directed the theatres not to show advertisements, as it amounts to unfair trade practice.
The court noted that the consumer forum directions on the face of it are without jurisdiction. The state government submitted that an appeal remedy is available to the petitioners to approach the state consumer forum.
While that may be a remedy, it would not halt or put shackles on the hands of this court to exercise jurisdiction under Article 226, the court said passing the interim order.