May 07, 2020
Bombay HC orders Eros International to clear dues of Rs. 19.39 lakh to Bhansali Productions
[ by Legal Era News Network ]
A single Judge Bench of Justice Burgess P Colabawalla of the Bombay High court directed Eros International to clear dues of Rs. 19.39 lakhs to Sanjay Leela Bhansali promoted Bhansali Productions within 3 weeks after Sanjay Leela Bhansali approached the court to restrain Eros International from exploiting rights over actors Deepika Padukone and Ranveer Singh-starrer ‘Goliyon ki Rasleela Ram-Leela’. The film was co-produced by Bhansali Productions and Eros International Media Limited and released in 2013.
Bhansali Productions sought urgent reliefs to restrain Eros International from selling, exploiting, licensing, distributing, and renewing rights over the film.
Eros International had filed intimation with the Bombay Stock Exchange of an all-share merger with STX Filmworks in the month of April. The proposed merger is likely to be closed by June 30.
Bhansali through his advocates challenged the proposed merger in the Bombay High Court seeking urgent reliefs to restrain Eros International from selling, exploiting, licensing, distributing, and renewing rights over the film. Further, it was also claimed that the Eros merger was based on incorrect and misleading disclosure and that STX Filmworks or other companies cannot claim any rights in the film.
Eros International on the other hand, claimed that the film was specifically mentioned in annual returns published for the fiscal ending March 31, 2019, and therefore there was no urgency to grant interim reliefs to Bhansali productions.
The Bombay High Court stated that since the respondent companies were located outside the court’s jurisdiction, the case will require a detailed hearing to consider the law on whether reliefs can be granted against entities falling beyond court’s jurisdiction. The Court directed Eros International to clear the dues of Rs. 19.39 lakh to Bhansali Productions related to the co-production arrangement within three weeks and also said that Bhansali Productions will have the liberty to approach it for reliefs against the merger after regular court resumes post lockdown.
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