The Bombay high court directed the collector of Mumbai and suburbs, movie theatres as well as multiplexes to file their affidavit on Thursday, in reply to a petition seeking implementation of a Government Resolution (GR) restraining additional charges for online booking of movie tickets.
Filed by advocate Sunil Lalla, the PIL had sought a direction to all movie theatres and multiplexes in the state against levying “Internet handling fee” or “convenience charge” over and above the cost of the movie ticket.
A division bench of Chief Justice Mohit Shah and Justice M.S. Sanklecha directed the collector of Mumbai city and Mumbai suburbs to file an affidavit stating what steps it had taken to implement the GR dated April 4, 2013.
The court has also directed other respondents — BookMyShow, Big Cinema (Reliance Mediaworks), Fame India Ltd, INOX cinema, Fun Multiplex, Sterling Complex, Globus Cinema, New Excelsior Cinema, 24 Karat Multiplex, HDIL Broadway, Abhiruchi City Pride and E-Square cinema to file their affidavits by June 25, so that the matter could be heard on June 27.
On April 16, Mr Lalla had booked a ticket online through BookMyShow to watch a film at Sterling Theatre in south Mumbai. He was charged `193.48 and found that though the ticket was priced at `180, he was charged `13.48 as “Internet handling fee”. After he sent a notice to respondents seeking clarification for charging an additional fee when the government has prohibited it, he received a reply from Sterling stating that they are “not aware” of any such order. Mr Lalla then approached the high court. “Some theatres charge up to `25 for online booking. Despite the government resolution specifically saying that viewers should not be charged, it is not being followed,” the petitioner’s advocates Birendra Saraf and Ameet Naik argued on Thursday.