Synopsis
Tamil film director Shankar voiced his deep disappointment regarding the ED's provisional attachment of his properties, despite a court ruling confirming the absence of copyright infringement. He emphasized the misuse of legal processes and expressed hope for a reassessment by authorities.Key Takeaways
- Shankar expresses disappointment over ED's actions.
- Claims no copyright violation was found by the court.
- Attachment based on baseless allegations regarding Enthiran.
- ED's actions seen as a misuse of legal processes.
- Shankar may appeal against the attachment order.
Chennai, Feb 21 (NationPress) Addressing the recent actions of the Directorate of Enforcement (ED), renowned Tamil filmmaker Shankar expressed his profound disappointment regarding the provisional attachment of three properties registered in his name. He stated that this occurred despite a definitive legal ruling confirming that no copyright infringement had transpired.
Shankar, celebrated for numerous blockbuster films, remarked, “I want to draw attention to a recent move by the Directorate of Enforcement (ED), Chennai Zonal Office, which has provisionally attached three of my properties based on unfounded plagiarism claims related to the film Enthiran (Robot).”
He noted that he had not received any official communication from the Enforcement Directorate concerning the attachment, even though the news was widely reported.
“This action not only misinterprets legal realities but also signifies a clear misuse of legal processes,” he asserted.
“It is vital to emphasize that this issue had already been thoroughly evaluated by the Hon'ble High Court in Civil Suit No. 914/2010. The Court meticulously assessed the evidence and arguments from both parties, rejecting the claim made by Aarur Tamil Nadan, which aimed to establish him as the rightful copyright owner of the Enthiran narrative,” Shankar explained, stating that despite this clear judicial outcome, the Enforcement Directorate proceeded with the property attachment, basing their actions on an independent report from the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII), while disregarding the High Court's binding decision in C.S.No.914/2010.
He also highlighted that the private complaint referenced by the Enforcement Directorate had already been stayed by the High Court of Chennai in an order issued in Crl.MP.No.13914/23 in Crl.Op.No.20452/23.
“Considering these circumstances, I am deeply disheartened by the ongoing actions of the ED, despite the clear legal ruling from the Civil Court, which unequivocally stated that no copyright violation occurred. This overreach represents an outrageous abuse of legal processes,” Shankar stated.
The director concluded by expressing, “I hope the authorities will reassess their actions and halt further proceedings. Should they disregard this, I will be compelled to challenge the attachment order.”
On Thursday, the ED attached properties valued at around Rs 10.11 crore under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002.
