MEDIA PRO ENTERPRISE INDIA PVT. LTD. Vs STAR CABLE TELEVISION NETWORK
- Case No.BROADCASTING PETITION/761/2012
Ratio decidendi
The rule this decision rests on
Where the respondent neither appears nor files a reply to controvert the petition, the proceeding may be treated as ex parte, and the petitioner's averments supported by unrebutted affidavit evidence and a witness's examination may be accepted as established. A claim for recovery of subscription dues is proved by producing the subscription agreements, the invoices raised under them, and ledger accounts showing the outstanding balance. The amount so established as outstanding is decreed in favour of the petitioner. Where the decree is for principal dues, interest may be awarded at a specified rate from a fixed date before institution until the date of filing, and thereafter at a lower rate on the decretal amount until realisation.
Written by Miss Lucy from the judgment below, not taken from a headnote.
Judgment
As delivered
O R D E R
Petitions in the above batch are for recovery of subscription amounts. The petitioner, M/s. Media Pro Enterprises India Pvt. Ltd., is a content aggregator and acts as an agent/distributor of various broadcasters. The respondents are Multi Systems Operators and subscribe to the signals/channels of the petitioner and in turn distribute the same to the subscribers.
2. The case of the petitioner is that with effect from 01.7.2011, the petitioner has taken over distribution of the channels of M/s. Star Den Media Services Pvt. Ltd. and M/s. Zee Turner Ltd. who have also authorized the petitioner to collect the outstanding dues on their behalf from the respondents. The respondents had entered into agreements with Star Den. 1 The petitioner has from time to time raised invoices on the respondents for payment of monthly subscription fee as well as the payment towards old outstanding dues. The respondents even after receiving the invoices, have failed to clear the outstanding dues.
3. No one appeared for the respondents despite service of notice nor was any reply filed on behalf of the respondents to controvert the statements and allegations made in the petition. The petition, therefore, proceeded ex-parte.
4. The petitioner has adduced evidence by way of affidavit of Mr. Amiya Ranjan Pati working as Deputy General Manager with the petitioner and has also produced the witness before the Tribunal for examination. The witness identified the subscription agreements as Exhibit PW1/1, copies of invoices as Exhibit
1 Details of the agreements as per the petitioner are tabulated in Table 1.
PW1/2(Colly) and ledger accounts showing the outstanding payable by the respondents as Exhibit PW1/3(Colly). The details of agreements and outstanding are under:
Table 1 : details of agreements and outstanding. S. Petition No. Title Date of Validity Period Monthly Total N Agreement Subscription Outstanding o. fee Dues
1. P 761(C)/2012 Media Pro Enterprise 06.05.2011 01.01.2011 to Rs. 61,236.44 Rs.3,41,917.53 India Pvt. Ltd. 31.12.2011 (Star (with Star Den ) Den) vs. Exhibit PW1/1 Star Cable Television Network (Villupuram)
2. P 766(C)/ Media Pro Enterprise 23.04.2011 (with 01.01.2011 to Rs. 34496.80 Rs.1,25,326.93 2012 India Pvt. Ltd. Star Den) 31.12.2011 (Star Den) vs. Exhibit PW1/1 Cuddalore Sat System (Cuddalore)
3. P 767(C)/ Media Pro Enterprise 30.05.2011 (with 01.01.2011 to Rs. 19563.83 Rs.1,18,101.06 2012 India Pvt. Ltd. Star Den) 31.12.2011 (Star Den) from 1.1.2011 vs. Exhibit PW1/1 Rs. 19938.82 Chakra Channels (Madurai) From 1.4.2011
4 P 769(C)/ Media Pro Enterprise 08.06.2011 (with 01.01.2011 to Rs. 22256 Rs.84,981.75 India Pvt. Ltd. Star Den) 31.12.2011 (Star 2012 Den) vs. Exhibit PW1/1 Skyland Cable Network (Cuddalore) S. Petition No. Title Date of Validity Period Monthly Total N Agreement Subscription Outstanding o. excluding Dues taxes
5. P 773(C)/ Media Pro Enterprise 02.05.2011 (with 01.01.2011 to Rs. 6294.85 Rs.52,982.51 2012 India Pvt. Ltd. Star Den) 31.12.2011 (Star Den) vs. Exhibit PW1/1 Samayanayaki Cable Vision (Viirudhunagar)
6. P 776(C)/ Media Pro Enterprise 16.04.2011 (with 01.01.2011 to Rs. 61,302.50 Rs.4,43,546.08 2012 India Pvt. Ltd. Star Den) 31.12.2011 (Star Den) vs. Exhibit PW1/1 Power Cable Network (Madhuranthagam) 7. P 782(C)/ Media Pro Enterprise 03.06.2011 (with 01.01.2011 to Rs.35108.84 Rs.1,95,039.53 2012 India Pvt. Ltd. Star Den) 31.12.2011 (Star Den) From 1.1.2011 vs. Exhibit PW1/1 Rs. 26,039.52 Metro TV From 1.4.2011 (Tiruchirapalli) 8 P 786(C)/ Media Pro Enterprise 05.04.2011 (with 01.01.2011 to Rs. 15803.90 Rs.1,00,235.38 2012 India Pvt. Ltd. Star Den) 31.12.2011 (Star Den) vs. Exhibit PW1/1 Ragavendra Cable Network (Marakannam) 9 P 788(C)/ Media Pro Enterprise 10.05.2011 (with 01.01.2011 to Rs. 14299.48 Rs.78,998.61 2012 India Pvt. Ltd. Star Den) 31.12.2011 (Star from 1.1.2011 Den) vs. Exhibit PW1/1 Rs. 15301 from 1.5.2011 Metro TV (Tiruchirapalli) 10 P 789(C)/ Media Pro Enterprise 01.06.2011 (with 01.01.2011 to Rs. 10682.88 Rs.44,322.18. 2012 India Pvt. Ltd. Star Den) 31.12.2011 (Star Den) vs. Exhibit PW1/1 SMV Cable (Khammam)
5. In the facts and circumstances of this batch of cases, the petitions are allowed to the extent of amounts mentioned in column no. 7 [Total Outstanding Dues] of table 1. The office is directed to draw decrees against the respondents for amounts mentioned against them. These amounts will be receivable by the petitioner along with interest @ 18% from 1 October 2011 till the date of filing of the petitions. The decretal amount shall further carry interest @ 9% per annum from the date of filing of the petition till realization of the decretal amount.
There will be no order as to costs.
…….……………… (Kuldip Singh) Member rkc
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