Court initiates sou motu contempt proceedings against CV Anand, Principal Home Secretary

Hyderabad: On Tuesday the single bench of Justice Kumar initiated sou motu contempt proceedings against C V Anand, Principal Secretary (Home) for not complying with court orders. He heard the writ filed by advocate Dachepally Chandra Babu challenging the Home Secretary’s in issuing memos enhancing movie ticket prices.

Justice Kumar issued sou motu contempt proceedings during the hearing of writ challenging the memo (dated January 1,2026) enhancing the ticket rates for movie “Mana Shankara Vara Prasad Garu”, which was released on January 12 on the eve of Sankranti. In the memo, the ticket rates of movie were enhanced. Anand had permitted enhancing the ticket price for “Raja Saab”, which was challenged in a writ. The judge suspended the memo and directed the Home Secretary and the City Police Commissioner to place the decision of enhancing movie ticket prices in public domain 90 days prior to film’s release to enable interested persons to file an application under Section 7A of the Telangana Cinemas Regulation Act, 1955.

Despite there being a clear order on January 8, 2026 by Justice Kumar directing the Home Secretary not to enhance the ticket price further, the official had again permitted enhancement of the price for “Mana Shankara Vara Prasad Garu”. This decision irked the judge; he issued sou motu contempt proceedings directing the Home Secretary to explain why action should not be initiated against him under the Contempt of Courts Act for blatantly violating the court orders.

Justice Kumar issued notices to the Cyberabad Commissioner of Police, in his capacity as Cinema Licensing Authority, apart from the Home Secretary and to the MD, Telangana Film Development Corporation, by impleading him in the writ sou motu.

The case was posted for hearing after three weeks with directions to all officials--Principal Secretary (Home), Commissioner of Police Cyberabad, Shines Screens India LLP and MD, TFDC to file replies.