1.The petitioner, Tamil Nadu Exhibitors Association, represented by its General Secretary, has prayed for the issue of a writ of mandamus forbearing the respondents from determining, assessing and demanding the rental charges from the members of the association in respect of the short films sought to be exhibited between the period September 1994 to July 1999 during the pendency of the issue before the High Court of Delhi and the Supreme Court of India by retrospectively applying the declaratory judgment of the Supreme Court in Civil Appeal Nos. 3767 to 3771 of 1999 dated 15.7.99 and pass such further or other orders.

2. The petitioner, an association registered under The Tamil Nadu Societies Registration Act, 1975, is having 585 life members and 256 ordinary members. The Tamil Nadu Cinemas Regulation Act read with Rule 41 (2) of The Cinemas Regulation Rules requires the cinematograph exhibitors to make arrangement with the State and Central Government for exhibition at each performance to exhibit short films produced by the said two Governments. The same was one of the conditions for renewal of 'C' form licence as well. The exhibitors were paying the rental charges to t