Censor board not functioning with enough teeth: HC

Observing that the censor board "is not functioning with enough teeth", the Madras High Court has suggested that the central and the state governments bring in appropriate legislation to regulate content in films and also those available on various Internet platforms.

"With advanced technology in use in film industry now, the Cinematography Act in its present form, we apprehend, may not be effective. It needs amendments to meet the new kind of situations in the industry arising out of the influence of information technology," a division bench, comprising justices S Nagamuthu, who retired on May 30, and Dr Anita Sampath, said. "The censor board is not functioning with enough teeth," it said.

The court made the observations while detailing the plight of a school girl, who was influenced by movies and was sexually exploited by a boy, resulting in her getting pregnant.

The judges also closed a habeas corpus petition filed by the girl's mother seeking to produce in court her daughter, hailing from Mayailaduthurai in Nagapattinam district, and directed the state to bring in appropriate legislation to regulate publicity materials such as posters and flex boards.

The case relates to the disappearance of the girl along with a boy, who later married her, following which her mother filed the petition.

During an inquiry by the court, the girl had disclosed that she was influenced by some Tamil movies, in which heroines were apparently attracted by heroes who stalked them with an intention of winning their love.

It was submitted that the girl was a good student and scored 441 marks out of 500 in class X examinations and aimed to become a doctor.