A group of Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) workers, including a former corporator, assaulted the assistant manager of a multiplex in Pune over high prices of food items sold inside the theatre. Defending the action, a party leader bragged that they just taught a lesson to multiplex executive in 'MNS style'.
"Popcorn worth Rs 5 is being sold at Rs 250, Bombay High Court has already said reduction in price is needed. We told the manager to read news reports, he said don't know how to read Marathi. Then we dealt with him MNS style," MSN's Kishor Shinde said.
A case against Kishor Shinde, a former corporator from Kothrud area, and other workers of MNS was registered after the multiplex management filed a complaint at Chatushringi police station following the incident on Thursday.
Around a dozen MNS workers barged into PVR Icon on Senapati Bapat Road and some of them slapped the assistant manager of the theatre, a purported video of the incident showed. The MNS workers were carrying banners protesting the overpricing of food items sold on the multiplex premises. The video of the incident has gone viral on social media.
"We have booked Shinde and other MNS workers under relevant sections of the IPC after the multiplex administration lodged a complaint against them," said senior inspector Dayanand Dhome of the Chatushringi police station.
What Bombay HC had said
The Bombay High Court, hearing a PIL, had asked the Maharashtra government why it could not regulate the prices of food items
sold at exorbitant rates inside movie theatres and multiplexes across the state.
The PIL had pointed to the ban on carrying food items from outside the movie theatres and multiplexes.
Food items in multiplexes exorbitant, some food articles more expensive than movie tickets, why can't govt regulate: Bombay HC
"Based on that news (the HC ruling), we went to some multiplexes in the city asking the management to reduce the prices of food items.
"When we approached the PVR on Senapati Bapat Road, the multiplex representative told us he can not read Marathi so he was not aware of the news published about the high court questioning the government," said Shinde.
Observing that prices of eatables sold inside cinema halls were often "exorbitant", a bench of justices Ranjit More and Anuja Prabhudessai had directed the state government to examine if the Bombay Police Act can be invoked to regulate the prices.
"The prices of food and beverages sold in multiplexes are exorbitant. Sometimes, some food articles sold there are more expensive than even the movie tickets," the bench had said.
Watch: MNS workers thrash multiplex manager in Pune
(With inputs from agencies)
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