'Censor board hasn't applied mind': Kerala HC stays release of 'The Kerala Story 2'

Court directs the CBFC to consider the petitioners representation and decide the matter within 2 weeks and grants an interim stay on the film.

The Kerala High Court on Thursday, February 26, stayed the release of the controversial film 'The Kerala Story 2', saying that prima facie there is non-application of mind by the censor board while certifying the movie. The interim order was stayed by Justice Bechu Kurien Thomas, who was hearing a batch of petitions challenging the approval granted by the CBFC to release the film.

The petitioners had argued that the movie is misrepresenting facts about the state and that it could disrupt the communal harmony of Kerala.

Justice Bechu Kurien Thomas Thomas orally observed that the film should not be released until arguments concluded, noting that the concerns expressed by the petitioners appeared genuine at this stage.

The Court directed the CBFC to consider the petitioners representation and decide the matter within 2 weeks and grants an interim stay on the film.