Supreme Court stays Karnataka HC order asking multiplexes to maintain auditable record of tickets – India Legal

The Supreme Court docket on Monday stayed the Karnataka Excessive Court docket’s order asking multiplexes to keep up a complete and auditable document for each film ticket offered.

The excessive court docket’s division bench had handed the course on September 30 whereas listening to a plea towards an order of its single decide that had granted an interim keep on the Karnataka Cinemas (Regulation) (Modification) Guidelines, 2025, which sought to cap cinema ticket costs at Rs 200.

A plea difficult the division bench order got here up for listening to on Monday earlier than a bench of Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta.

“This must be fastened,” the bench mentioned, whereas observing that multiplexes had been charging Rs 100 for a water bottle.

“As it’s, the cinema is declining. Make it extra affordable for individuals to return and revel in. In any other case, the halls are empty,” the bench mentioned, including, “We’re with the division bench that it must be Rs 200.”

The bench agreed to listen to the plea filed by Multiplex Affiliation of India and others.

It issued discover to the Karnataka State Movie Chamber of Commerce and others searching for their responses on the plea inside 4 weeks.

“Within the meantime, the impact and operation of the impugned order shall stay stayed,” the bench mentioned.

The highest court docket mentioned it will be open for the one decide to proceed with the matter.

The one decide had handed the order on September 23 on the pleas difficult the Karnataka Cinemas (Regulation) (Modification) Guidelines, 2025, which capped the ticket value at Rs 200.

The one decide had granted an interim keep on the modification till additional orders.

When the matter got here up earlier than the division bench, it mentioned an interim association was required to be made to guard the monetary pursuits of all involved, pending closing adjudication of the petition.

It handed instructions, together with that multiplexes would keep complete and auditable information for each ticket offered and the information should embody the date and time of sale, mode of reserving, mode of fee, quantity collected and the GST element.

“Digitally traceable receipts should be issued for all money transactions, and each day money registers should be countersigned by the manager-in-charge of the multiplex,” it mentioned.

The division bench mentioned that for cash-based ticket gross sales, multiplexes should situation numbered, time-stamped receipts to the customers.

It posted the matter for additional listening to on November 25.

—PTI