The ongoing controversy surrounding the ticket price hike for the Ram Charan-starrer Peddi has reached the Telangana High Court. On Wednesday, the court heard a contempt of court petition filed against the Principal Secretary of the Home Department, Shikha Goel, for permitting the price increase. During the preliminary hearing, the High Court made a significant observation, stating that the government memorandum allowing the hike prima facie appears to be illegal and contrary to established regulations.
The legal dispute stems from a memorandum issued by the Home Department on June 2, which granted the makers of Peddi permission to increase movie ticket prices for a period of 10 days starting from its release on June 4. Advocate Dachepalli Chandrababu filed the petition challenging this decision, arguing that the order directly violates Government Order 121 (GO 121) as well as explicit past directives issued by the High Court. Presenting arguments on behalf of the petitioner, advocate Vijay Gopal contended that the Principal Secretary willfully and deliberately disobeyed prior judicial mandates regarding cinema ticket pricing.
Upon hearing the arguments, the High Court directed the state government to strictly adhere to existing guidelines and judicial frameworks governing ticket price revisions. The government counsel requested additional time from the court to gather comprehensive details and instructions from the Home Department. Acknowledging the request, the high court adjourned the matter and scheduled the next comprehensive hearing for June 15.
