CHENNAI: The Madras High Court on Tuesday set aside an order of a single judge that had directed the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) to grant a U/A certificate for the Vijay-starrer Jananayagan.

A division bench comprising Chief Justice Manindra Mohan Shrivastava and Justice G Arul Murugan held that the principles of natural justice were not followed in the earlier proceeding. The bench subsequently sent the matter back to the single judge for fresh consideration.

The court underscored that the allegations made in the complaint against the movie were of a serious nature, which had prompted the CBFC Chairperson to send the film for review.

Given this seriousness, the bench observed that the single judge should have provided an opportunity for the CBFC to defend its decision before issuing a directive.

Furthermore, the court noted that the single judge should not have delved into the merits of the case, especially in the absence of any specific prayer challenging the Chairperson's order.

The bench has now directed the single judge to decide the matter afresh after allowing the CBFC an opportunity to respond. The film’s producer, KVN Productions, has also been granted liberty to amend its writ petition.