Kerala High Court declines to stop telecast of Malayalam Bigg Boss

Delhi: The Kerala High Court on Monday declined to order the Central government to stop broadcasting season 6 of Bigg Boss Malayalam. Chief Justice AJ Desai and Justice VG Arun advised the petitioner to seek grievance redressal through the broadcaster as per the Cable Television Networks (Regulation) Act.

The petitioner, who had already complained to the Ministry, alleged that the broadcaster lacked an appropriate grievance mechanism. However, Endemol Shine India’s counsel argued that the petitioner should have approached the broadcaster first.

The Court insisted that the petitioner exhaust all other remedies before seeking judicial intervention and questioned the validity of the Public Interest Litigation (PIL) in this case. The petitioner, a practicing lawyer, had sought to halt the show due to violent incidents, citing a recent scuffle between contestants ASI Rocky and Sijo John, which led to Rocky's eviction.

The petitioner claimed the show violated broadcasting regulations and raised concerns about public safety and morality. Despite these arguments, the Court emphasized personal choice in viewing content and directed the petitioner to approach the relevant authorities. Advocate Adarsh S represented himself, while Senior Advocate Santhosh Mathew appeared for Endemol Shine India.