Akhanda 2 Starts With Ticket Price Hike

Hyderabad:Theatres in Telangana were on Friday permitted to charge enhanced ticket prices for the Telugu film ‘Akhanda 2: Thaandavam’. A two-judge panel of the Telangana High Court kept in abeyance, an order of a single judge which had stayed the operation of government memo that had enhanced the ticket rates. The panel comprising Justice Moushumi Bhattacharya and Justice Gadi Praveen Kumar was dealing with two writ appeals filed 14 Reels Plus LLP and another. A writ plea was filed earlier by Dachepally Chandra Babu and others challenging a memo issued by the state permitting a ticket rate of `600 for the premiere of the film and enhanced rates for three days. The single judge suspended the operation of memo. Senior counsel A. Venkatesh and Avinash Desai appearing for the appellants argued that the order was passed ex-parte and without affording an opportunity of hearing. It was pointed out that the order of single judge did not assign any reason with respect to prima facie case, balance of convenience and irreparable loss. Senior counsel argued that suspending the memo would amount to granting final relief by way of an interim order as the ticket sales had taken place and impugned order was passed hours before the release of the film. It was also argued that the appellants had invested substantial sums towards marketing of the movie and the stay of memo would affect the premiere show on the day of the movie release, causing irreparable commercial injury. The panel observed that writ petition was not a public interest litigation espousing the cause of the public at large. The writ petitions were filed by three individuals, to whom the maximum harm that could be caused would be an additional `300, if the petitioners were to watch the movie at a multiplex. The panel pointed out that the loss was far less than that prayed by the appellants. In a separate development, the writ petitioner moved a contempt case before the single judge stating that the order of the single judge was violated by the authorities. Justice N.V. Shravan Kumar expressed displeasure over the general and repeated flouting of court orders, founded on earlier division bench directions which disallowed cinema ticket rate hikes contrary to law. During the hearing, the producer submitted that the film was handed over to the distributor, while the ticketing platform contended that it acted only as a platform and that fixation of ticket prices rested with cinema theatres. Mahesh Raje, counsel for the state, pointed out that the government had issued directions in accordance with the court order and for violation if any, the online booking facility Book My Show could be pulled up but not the police authorities. Recording continued non-compliance with judicial directions, the court issued contempt notices to the Hyderabad police commissioner, who also functions as the cinema licensing authority for allowing the hike, and directed the ticketing platform to file its counter in the contempt proceedings.

HC Hears Pranay Case Death Sentence

A two judge panel of the Telangana High Court comprising Justice K. Lakshman and Justice V. Ramakrishna Reddy will continue to hear a petition on the death sentence arising from the conviction of Subash Kumar Sharma in the 2018 Pranay Kumar honour killing case. The reference stemmed from the judgment of the Special Sessions Judge for Trial of SC/ST (POA) Act Cases, Nalgonda. The trial court sentenced Subash Kumar Sharma to death, identifying him as the hired assassin who murdered 24-year-old Perumalla Pranay Kumar. The offence took place on September 14, 2018, in Miryalaguda, when Pranay, belonging to the Mala (SC) community, was stepping out of a hospital with his pregnant wife and his mother. The attacker struck him with a butcher knife, delivering fatal blows to his head and neck in broad daylight as CCTV cameras captured the murder, sparking widespread outrage.Investigations later confirmed that the killing was motivated by honour-based violence, allegedly masterminded by the father of his wife, Thirunagaram Maruthi Rao, who vehemently opposed her inter-caste marriage with Pranay and is reported to have paid a contract price of about `1 crore to hired killers. Among the seven accused convicted in the case, Sharma was sentenced to death while the others received life imprisonment. Rao, arrayed as Accused No. 1, was accused of planning and financing the crime; proceedings against him were abated following his death by suicide in 2020. The conviction was based on strong and corroborative evidence, including eyewitness accounts, CCTV footage tracking the movements of the assailants, fingerprint analysis, mobile phone records, hotel records, and confessional statements of the accused. The state placed the death sentence reference before the High Court for mandatory confirmation. The panel heard submissions and posted the matter for further hearing.

State Told to Focus on School Bag Weight

Justice Surepalli Nanda of the Telangana High Court directed the authorities concerned to bestow attention on ever-increasing weight of school bags. The judge was dealing with a writ petition filed by Y. Srinivas Reddy, seeking a direction to the school education department for its failure to implement long-standing government orders regulating the weight of school bags for students. According to the petitioner, despite the issuance of the government order dated July 18, 2017, by the school education department, and the subsequent circular dated November 24, 2020, issued by the ministry of human resource development, the authorities had failed to enforce the prescribed standards relating to permissible school bag weights. The petitioner argued that these binding instructions were framed to safeguard the health and well-being of schoolchildren, who continue to carry excessive loads in violation of the mandate. The petitioner further contended that the authorities remained unmoved even after receiving detailed representations highlighting continued non-compliance by several schools. The petitioner claimed that the persistent inaction not only reflects administrative apathy but also exposes children to avoidable physical strain, contrary to the spirit of child protection guidelines and constitutional guarantees under Articles 14 and 21. It was contended that the prolonged failure to implement the GO and the central circular has resulted in unregulated practices across private and government schools, forcing students to carry heavy bags far beyond recommended limits. The plea contended that such neglect undermines the objectives of the Right to Education Act and violates the right to a safe and stress-free learning environment. After hearing the matter, Justice Nanda directed the District Education Officer and other concerned authorities to consider the petitioner’s representation and take appropriate steps in accordance with law.

Justice Nagesh Bheemapaka of the Telangana High Court ordered the Mancherial district collect and other officials to extend logistical support for the upcoming Masemal deity Pushyamasa Pournami festivities, while hearing a writ plea seeking official assistance for the Gond tribal festival at Gandhari Khilla. The judge was hearing a writ plea filed by Srinivas Putta, representing the Gond community. The petitioner complained that despite repeated representations, authorities failed to provide basic arrangements for the age-old festival held annually at Gandhari Khilla in Bokkalgutta gram panchayat, Mandamarri mandal. It was contended that the event scheduled on January 2 and 3, 2026, involved traditional rituals, processions and customary performances, and holds significant cultural and spiritual importance for the Gond tribes. Recording the submissions, the judge passed an interim direction to the authorities to consider the representation of the petitioner and provide necessary support, including water supply, sanitation, transport, security, and immediate financial assistance for the conduct of the festival.