Madras High Court Defends Free Speech in Karuppu Row

Chennai: In a powerful observation defending artistic freedom and public scrutiny of institutions, the Madras High Court refused to ban the Tamil film Karuppu, stating that corruption within the judiciary “cannot be denied” and judges are not beyond criticism.

Hearing a petition filed against the movie, the division bench of Justice G.R. Swaminathan and Justice V. Lakshminarayanan made sharp remarks while dismissing demands to stop the film’s theatrical and OTT release. The petition had alleged that the movie portrayed courts and judges in a negative manner and damaged the image of the judiciary.

According to reports, the petition was filed by advocate R.S. Tamilvendan against the Tamil Nadu government, the Information and Public Relations Department and the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC). The petitioner sought a ban or strict regulation on the screening of Karuppu, produced by Dream Warrior Pictures and directed by R.J. Balaji. The film stars Suriya and Trisha in lead roles.

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While rejecting the plea, the High Court strongly observed:
“Judges are not ‘sacred cows’. Corrupt judges existed in the past and continue to exist even today. Nobody can deny the existence of corruption in the judiciary.”

The bench further said:
“Courts and judges are not beyond criticism. Justice is not a concept locked inside closed rooms. The judiciary must possess the ability to accept public scrutiny and respectful criticism.”

None can deny that there is corruption in the judiciary, the Madras High Court recently observed while refusing to ban Karuppu, a Tamil film which involves a portrayal of corruption in a trial court.

Read the judgment: https://t.co/Fiuyyf0nhN pic.twitter.com/uswehuxgZM

— Bar and Bench (@barandbench) May 27, 2026

The court also referred to remarks made earlier by former Chief Justice of India S.P. Bharucha, who had once indicated that nearly 20 percent of judges in the country could be corrupt. It also mentioned controversial statements made by senior advocate Shanti Bhushan and advocate Prashant Bhushan regarding judicial corruption.

However, the bench clarified:
“We are not going to such extremes. We refuse to endorse sweeping statements. But we will not deny that corrupt judges have existed within the system.”

Justice Swaminathan, who personally watched the film before delivering the order, said the depiction in Karuppu was exaggerated but consistent with the dramatic nature of Tamil cinema.

“The portrayal of the judiciary is undoubtedly exaggerated. But that is how Tamil cinema functions. Heroes fight dozens of goons alone, everything is dramatic. Karuppu must also be viewed in that context,” the court observed.

The bench further stressed that artistic freedom must be protected at the highest level and once the CBFC grants certification, courts cannot impose personal opinions through public interest litigation to ban a film.

The judges also noted that the fictional “Seven Wells Court” shown in the film does not exist in reality and therefore does not amount to criminal contempt under the Contempt of Courts Act, 1971.

Concluding the matter, the High Court ruled that the film does not portray the entire judiciary as corrupt and therefore no legal grounds exist to prohibit its release.