HC stays order directing CBFC to grant censor certificate to Jana Nayagan

The Madras High Court on Friday granted a stay on the order of a single judge directing CBFC to grant a censor certificate to actor-turned-politician Vijay-starrer ‘Jana Nayagan.’ A Division Bench comprising Chief Justice Manindra Mohan Shrivastava and Justice G Arul Murugan granted the stay after Additional Solicitor General ARL Sundaresan and Solicitor General Tushar Mehta (appearing through video conferencing) outlined the grounds for appeal by the CBFC and argued the matter. The court has posted the matter to January 21 for further hearing.

The stay was passed hours after single-judge Justice PT Asha had allowed the producers’ plea and ordered the CBFC to issue a U/A 16 certificate to the film. In her judgment, Justice Asha had held that the CBFC’s decision to send the film for re-examination by a revising committee was flawed and without jurisdiction, particularly since the examining committee’s recommendation for U/A certification subject to excisions had already been accepted by the Board and complied with by the filmmakers.