Ad hoc committee barred from taking over administration of AMMA; committee led by Shwetha Menon can continue, says court

KOCHI: A court has intervened in the ongoing dispute within AMMA, the Association of Malayalam Movie Artists. The Ernakulam Munsiff Court has temporarily restrained the ad hoc committee, which was formed after AMMA president Shwetha Menon announced her resignation, from taking over the organisation's administration.

The court also ruled that Shwetha Menon's committee can continue in office for the time being. The order came while hearing a petition filed by Shwetha challenging the appointment of the ad hoc committee. Actor Ramesh Pisharody is the convener of the ad hoc committee.

Earlier, Ramesh Pisharody and actor-politician K. B. Ganesh Kumar had alleged that Shwetha Menon and other executive committee members had not formally submitted their resignation letters, creating uncertainty within the organisation. Responding in a Facebook post, Shwetha said she had initially remained silent in the hope that the internal disputes would be resolved amicably. However, she decided to speak out following what she described as attempts to tarnish her reputation. She also asserted that she would not step down until she had cleared her name.

Shwetha further argued that AMMA's bylaws do not provide for the appointment of an ad hoc committee. She questioned how such a committee could be formed when there is no provision for it in the organisation's bylaws. According to her, if an elected committee officially resigns, the existing committee should continue until fresh elections are held and a new committee is elected. She maintained that, under the bylaws, only one committee can legally function at a time, and that her committee should continue until a new committee is elected by the general body.