Two IAS officers are facing contempt charges, with the Madras High Court asking them to explain why its order, telling theatre owners not to collect entertainment tax from people for the Rajinikanth-starrer “Kochadaiiyaan”, was not complied with.
On May 22, passing order on a PIL filed by advocate S Muthiah, the court had made it clear that exhibitors of the film should not add the entertainment tax component to the cost of the tickets for the film, which released on May 23.
The court also pointed out that the government had extended entertainment tax exemption to the film, and only the ticket amount should have been collected from audiences.
When the contempt case came before the first bench, Acting Chief Justice Satish K Agnihotri and Justice M M Sundresh gave the two top IAS officers—the principal secretary and the commissioner of the commercial taxes and registration department—one week to file an affidavit confirming compliance of the order.
Published 06 June 2014, 19:41 IST