AP High Court dismisses PIL against Pawan Kalyan

The Andhra Pradesh High Court has granted relief to Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan by dismissing a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) that sought to restrain him from acting in films while holding public office. The court ruled that the petition lacked merit and was not maintainable.

The PIL, filed by former IAS officer Vijay Kumar, alleged that Pawan Kalyan’s continued involvement in films was unethical while serving as Deputy Chief Minister. The petitioner further claimed that government resources and administrative machinery were misused for the promotion of the film Hari Hara Veera Mallu, and raised objections over the increase in ticket prices, seeking an independent probe into the matter.

During the hearing, Advocate General Dammalapati Srinivas, representing the state government, strongly refuted the allegations. He argued that there is no legal provision barring ministers from acting in films, and cited past legal precedents, including cases related to former Chief Minister N. T. Rama Rao, where similar issues had been addressed.

The Advocate General clarified that decisions regarding ticket price revisions were taken by the government based on requests from film producers and had no direct link to the Deputy Chief Minister. He also emphasised that there was no evidence to support claims of misuse of official position or resources, describing the petition as politically motivated.

Agreeing with these arguments, Justice Venkata Jyothirmayi held that the petition did not warrant judicial consideration and dismissed it accordingly. The ruling effectively clears the way for Pawan Kalyan to continue his film career alongside his political responsibilities, reinforcing the position that holding public office does not legally restrict participation in the film industry.