Supreme Court Warns Multiplexes Over Exorbitant Prices

New Delhi, November 4 - The Supreme Court of India has raised serious concerns over the exorbitant prices charged by multiplexes for food and beverages. Over the last many years, theatres have struggled to bring the audiences, and the unaffordable prices are one of the major reasons for it.

On Monday, a bench of the apex court, comprising Justice Vikram Nath and Justice Sandeep Mehta, in an oral observation, said that exorbitant rates for tickets and food items at multiplexes could drive moviegoers away. They observed that the rates should be appropriately fixed so that people will come.

According to Live Law, the apex court's observations came while hearing petitions by Multiplex Association of India against a recent Karnataka HC order to cap multiplex ticket prices at 200. The SC bench stayed the HC order, while issuing a notice on the petitions.

Recently, the Karnataka Government passed an order that movie ticket prices in multiplexes shouldn't be more than Rs. 200. To challenge the order, the makers of Kantara Chapter 1 moved the high court, which stayed the order till further notice.

The Karnataka HC had directed the multiplexes to keep auditable records of every ticket sold, both online and offline, so that refunds can be made if the multiplexes lose the case. The HC also ordered to maintain audit reports verified by a CA regularly, among other things.

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