The Gujarat High Court, on Wednesday, quashed the Ahmedabad District Collector’s (DC) order of sealing city-based Shital theatre.

DC had cancelled the registration of the theatre and ordered to seal it following complaints that the theatre authorities were showing an obscene movie instead of the one for which they had obtained a certificate from the Censor Board.

As per the case details, a mamlatdar had raided the Shital Cinema in May 2008 following a message from the Entertainment Tax Commissioner regarding illegal screening of an uncensored film at the theatre.

It was allegedly found by the mamlatdar that the theatre authorities were showing an uncensored film instead of the duly censored film ‘Bholi Bhali Ladki’. A criminal complaint was also registered at Gomtipur Police Station in this regard.

Subsequently in October 2008, the theatre authorities had applied in advance to renew their license for three more years, which was expiring in August 2009.

“Instead of passing any order on our application to renew the license, DC arbitrarily passed an order cancelling the current license in the wake of the criminal complaint against the theatre authorities registered with Gomtipur Police Station and complaints by the concerned mamlatdar,” said Chinmay Gandhi, the petitioner’s counsel.

“Against the spirit of the natural justice, DC did not hear us and simply passed the order to cancel the license and to seal the theatre,” Gandhi said.

The order was challenged in the HC and ultimately, the court passed the order to quash DC’s order on Wednesday.

... contd.