The Madras High Court has refused to entertain a plea seeking action against the Tamil film Karuppu, which was accused of portraying judges and the judiciary in a negative light.
The Vacation Bench of Justice G R Swaminathan and Justice V Lakshminarayanan declined to interfere with the screening of the film on Thursday while dismissing a petition alleging that certain scenes depicted judicial officers as corrupt and susceptible to bribery and political influence.
Filed by advocate RS Tamilvendan, the plea contended that the movie undermined public confidence in courts and damaged the institutional image of judges and the legal profession.
Rejecting the plea, the Court observed that cinema was a form of artistic expression protected under Article 19(1)(a) of the Constitution and that filmmakers were entitled to portray social realities through creative works. During the hearing, the Bench orally remarked that allegations of corruption or unethical conduct involving members of the judiciary and legal profession have arisen in the past and that depiction of such issues by itself cannot justify censorship.
The Court held that it was not inclined to invoke its writ jurisdiction to regulate or prohibit the exhibition of the film merely because its portrayal of judicial institutions was objectionable to some viewers. Holding that no case for judicial interference was made out, the High Court dismissed the PIL.
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