RAMANUJAM, J.

This is a petition for punishing the respondents herein for criminal contempt under S. 15(1) of the Contempt of Courts Act 1971.

2. The petitioner herein who is running a video library along with 30 others filed writ petition No. 753 of 1984, questioning the validity of the Tamil Nadu Ordinance No. 2 of 1984, which was later replaced by Tamil Nadu Exhibition of Films on Television Screen through Video Cassette Recorders (Regulations) Act 1984 (Tamil Nadu Act 7 of 1984). The said writ petition was admitted on 26-1-1984, by Sathiadev J. and interim orders were passed staying the operation of Ss. 17 and 18 of the Ordinance till 15-3-1984. Similar writ petitions had also been filed by several other video libraries and similar interim order have been passed therein. The writ petitioners later sought extension of stay beyond 15-3-1984 and Ratnavel Pandian J. by an order dt. 15-3-1984, extended the said stay till 15-4-1984.

3. In the meanwhile on 21-3-1984, a programme was broadcast from the T.V. Center of Madras. It was a television interview in which respondents 1 and 2 herein participated. The subject of the interview was the recent video legislation. In the cour