The High Court on Tuesday dismissed a petition by Zee channel which had sought stay on telecast of ‘Santa’, Kannada movie, by other television channels.

The writ petition filed by Zee News Limited had sought the Court to restrain the broadcasting of the movie on Asianet and other TV channels, while claiming its sole right over the tele-broadcasting rights. Company Enterprise, the firm owning the copyrights of the movie, had sold the first rights of tele-broadcasting to it on Feb 1, 2007, Zee had stated while challenging subsequent transfer of broadcasting rights in favour of Asianet channel.

Justice Ram Mohan Reddy dismissed the petition saying that the petitioner had not been shown any legal injustice and hence the Court would not interfere.

National anthem case
Justice K Bhaktavatsala extended the stay granted against the prosecution of Infosys mentor Narayana Murthy, till July 30, while adjourning the hearing of Murthy’s petition.

Murthy has challenged the lower court summons seeking his appearance in a criminal case registered for his alleged derogatory statements about the national anthem.

Murthy has sought the Court to quash the entire criminal proceedings initiated against him. The lower court action was upon a private complaint lodged by the city-based Kannada Rakshana Vakeelara Vedike.  The hearing was adjourned to July 30.

The High Court on Tuesday directed the Gundlupet police to file a report regarding the investigation conducted in a criminal case registered against a software engineer on the allegation of employing a 13-year-old girl as bonded labour. The Court also summoned before it, the victim who was allegedly employed as maid servant at the petitioner’s parental residence in Kasargod.

A writ appeal filed by Sujata, a software engineer, challenged the criminal proceedings initiated against her and her mother upon a 2004 FIR by Gundlupet tahsildar. She has alleged that the tahsildar’s report was based on cooked up story broadcasted in a TV serial and a local newspaper of Mysore.

The Division Bench headed by Justice Manjula Chellur, hearing the matter, summoned the victim, a resident of Melukamanahalli along with her father  Madaiah, at the next hearing scheduled at 2.30 pm on July 23. The Bench also directed the prosecution to file a report of concerned Investigation Officer, disclosing the details of investigation conducted in the case.

BMP wins land
The Court held the ownership of about three acre 30 gunta land near Malleshwaram Railway Station in favour of Bangalore Mahanagara Palike, while dismissing a plea by two women claiming ownership on the land. Justice H V G Ramesh dismissed the Regular First Appeal filed by Sharadamma and Seethabai regarding the land’s ownership.