Chandigarh:

Police on Tuesday registered a case against the owner and manager of a cinema hall in Patiala for violating the Model Code of Conduct by showing a promotional video with the Punjab government logo.

The action was taken following complaints from RTI activists.

Punjab Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Sibin C said his office has received complaints about serious violations of the Model Code of Conduct as promotional video advertisements bearing the Punjab government logo and the chief minister’s image are being circulated across the state Played in cinemas.

Immediately aware of the complaint, the Punjab CEO has sought reports from the Deputy Commissioner, Public Relations Department, Patiala, where the cinema belongs, and all Deputy Commissioners and DEOs in the state, to ascertain the status of cinemas in any cinema showing such Government advertising.

The CEO said a notice was sent to the theater hall manager and a flying team was subsequently sent to visit the theater hall.

Thereafter, the case was referred to the Media Certification and Monitoring Council (MCMC) as it mainly related to the screening of advertisements in cinema halls.

Following the recommendations of the MCMC committee, the Patiala police registered a case under sections 188 (disobeying an order issued by a public servant) and 177 (giving false information) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)