Agartala Municipal Commissioner Shailesh Kumar Yadav locked Balaka Cinema Hall in the capital’s city center amid legal complications.
Owner Debashish Saha made a complaint in a press conference at Agartala Press Club on Sunday that he was thrown out of the cinema hall.
He said that the hall and the food court were given the responsibility as the highest rent bidders through the tender. Renewal option 3 inclusive of all taxes is written in the contract that the Society of City Centers also offers. Accordingly the rent is always paid on time.
But during covid when cinema hall was closed for long periods, employees salary, machine maintenance, fixed electricity bills etc were paid even though no revenue was collected.
Debashish Saha faced huge financial debt. He was under treatment at GBP Hospital after suffering a sudden brain stroke. Later, when the cinema hall opened again, the hall was opened by borrowing. But the Society of City Centers allegedly imposed fares during the Covid period. Then the rent was demanded to be waived.
But as the demand was not met, he started paying that money slowly. In addition, rent hikes and billed exclusive of all taxes instead of inclusive of all taxes by fear of retenders. Which is totally illegal.
In this situation, when asked to pay the revised bill, surprisingly they served the eviction notice and called for tenders.
Repeatedly he requested through letters that the Hall be given to him again. Conditions are imposed on the tenders so that the middle class does not get a chance to participate. Then he resorted to the law. The judge ordered no action against Debashish Saha till August 1.
But in complete disobedience of the court’s directives, a letter was issued on July 27 and ordered to vacate the hall on July 31. And manager Pinku Bhattacharya brought a representative of a local cinema hall inside the cinema hall for the handover. Last August 1 The judge upheld the earlier order and fixed August 21 for the next hearing.
After starting the business, AMC Commissioner Shailesh Kumar Yadav locked the hall along with the valuables without giving any letter inhumanely and illegally that night.
Later, when he requested the corporation commissioner, he allegedly threatened to arrest Debashish Saha. Debashish Sahar also alleged that the commissioner threw him out of the hall after misbehaving. And hang the lock in the hall with the staff.
Meanwhile, the corporation commissioner issued a statement this afternoon saying, On 30 October 2015 the lease agreement was extended from 1 January to 31 December 2019. And Debashish Saha through a letter dated 17 January 2019 was given a five per cent increase in rent. The lease agreement is from January 1, 2020 to December 2021. In 2019, it was increased by 5 percent every year from January. But Debashish Saha never paid the extra rent. But he spread false information through press conference on Sunday.
In the statement, AMC also said that Debashish Saha has not paid the rent in three months. The e-tender for the hall was released on 3rd April 2023. Two bidders then participated. But Debashish Saha did not participate in that tender. On August 6, SSR Cinemas Pvt. was announced as the winning bidder.
