The Bombay High Court has sought an explanation from the Cine and Television Artistes Association (CINTAA) after it proceeded with its elections and declared the results despite explicit judicial directions. The legal challenge stems from a contempt petition filed by the Federation of Western India Cine Employees (FWICE), which accused the body of deliberately defying court orders.
On October 22, Justice Aarti Sathe issued a show cause notice to CINTAA under Rule 9(1) of the Contempt of Courts (Bombay High Court Rules, 1994). The court noted that the evidence presented established a prima facie case of wilful disobedience and a breach of undertaking given to the court. Consequently, the High Court restrained CINTAA from implementing or acting upon the outcome of the elections held on October 20, 2026, until further orders.
According to FWICE, represented by Advocates Saveena Bedi Sachar and Ashok Shetty, CINTAA breached previous directions issued by the High Court on September 11 and October 19. Those earlier directives required all involved parties to refrain from taking actions that could impact ongoing court proceedings while a Notice of Motion was still pending before the trial court. Despite these explicit restraints, CINTAA conducted the election process and announced the results, prompting FWICE to seek contempt action.
The newly issued show cause notice asks CINTAA to explain why proceedings under the Contempt of Courts Act, 1971, should not be formally initiated against it for disregarding previous judicial mandates. While the restraint temporarily freezes the election outcomes, the High Court clarified that it has not yet made a final determination on the contempt matter, offering the association an opportunity to present its defense.
The Bombay High Court is scheduled to hear the matter next on November 18, 2026. Stay tuned to know more about it and others only with us and if you have anything to share do comment below and share your thoughts.
