Mumbai: The Bombay high court has given the state government six weeks time to frame a policy on allowing outside food inside multiplexes and cinema halls. The court asked the state government, “If cinema halls do not allow patrons to carry food inside, then how can vendors be allowed to sell inside the cinema hall at an exorbitant price?”
The court further said, “We can understand if no food is allowed inside and neither are patrons allowed to bring in food or vendors allowed to sell food inside. But it is not accepted that cinema halls are allowing vendors to sell food inside while banning outside food.”
A division bench comprising of Justice Shantanu Kemkar and Justice Makarand Karnik was hearing a PIL filed by city resident Jainendra Baxi through his lawyer Aditya Pratap. The plea claimed there was no legal or statutory provision prohibiting one from carrying personal food articles or water inside movie theatres. Mr Pratap also told the court that the Maharashtra Cinemas Rules prohibit hawking and selling of food inside theatres and auditoriums.
The petitioner lawyer on Wednesday informed the court that 10 weeks had passed but the state government had not filed their affidavit. The government pleader told the court that the state is considering the petitioner’s prayer and trying to frame a policy or guidelines and sought more time to file the affidavit.
