The Kerala Story 2 — Goes Beyond tickets that were sold despite a stay on the film’s release are in the process of being refunded, as per reports.

Advocate Maitreyi Sachidananda Hegde, who represents one of the petitioners, Sreedev Namboodiri, told news agency PTI that she will not be moving a contempt plea against the film's producer as the movie has not been released and the ticket sales were being refunded.

Earlier in the day, the submission was made before Justice Bechu Kurian Thomas on behalf of petitioners Sreedev Namboodiri and Freddy Francis. The court stayed the release of the film on Thursday for 15 days on the basis of their pleas.

Counsel for the petitioners told the court that the The Kerala Story 2 producer had moved an appeal before a division bench on Thursday night challenging the stay order. However, no interim order was passed permitting the release of the film, and the division bench only reserved its judgment after hearing the matter.

Despite this, ticket bookings for the movie were open on Friday morning, the petitioners said. They said they would verify whether the film was being exhibited and, if so, would move a contempt plea before the court.

On Thursday, Justice Thomas noted “the possibility of communal disharmony or denigration of a community also being prima facie involved in the movie”, and held that its release without scrutiny by higher authorities would be legally improper.

The court further observed that the content of the film’s teaser has “a prima facie potential to distort public perception and disturb communal harmony”.

Later in the night, the film’s producer, Vipul Amrutlal Shah, moved an appeal before a division bench comprising Justices Sushrut Arvind Dharmadhikari and P V Balakrishnan. The bench, after hearing extensive arguments from all stakeholders, reserved its order in the matter.

However, it did not pass any interim direction staying the single judge’s decision.