The Bombay High Court has declared the Cine and Television Artistes Association (CINTAA) elections held on October 20, 2026, null and void, intensifying the ongoing dispute over the association’s leadership. The development comes after veteran actors Poonam Dhillon, who served as CINTAA president, and Padmini Kolhapure, its senior vice president, went ahead with the election process and announced the results. On October 22, Justice Aarti Sathe issued a show-cause contempt notice to the association following a petition filed by the Federation of Western India Cine Employees (FWICE). The court has also directed CINTAA not to act upon or give effect to the disputed election results, placing the leadership question under further legal scrutiny.
The contempt petition filed by FWICE alleged that CINTAA had violated earlier court directions issued on September 11 and October 19, 2026, by conducting elections and declaring the results on October 20. According to reports, the court observed that a prima facie case of wilful disobedience and breach of undertaking had been made out against the association. The notice was issued under Rule 9(1) of the Contempt of Courts (Bombay High Court Rules, 1994), asking the respondents to explain why action should not be taken under the Contempt of Courts Act, 1971. The matter is scheduled to be heard again on November 18, 2026.
The controversy stems from an internal dispute within CINTAA that has been unfolding for months. Several executive committee members resigned earlier this year amid disagreements over the association’s functioning, prompting FWICE to intervene and call for fresh elections. The subsequent legal battle centred on whether FWICE had the authority to conduct elections for CINTAA, which is affiliated with the federation. The dispute moved through the courts after the Poonam Dhillon-led faction challenged FWICE’s role in the process. The latest developments have added another significant chapter to the disagreement, with the legitimacy of the October election results now facing a direct legal challenge.
Despite the ongoing dispute, the election conducted by the Dhillon and Kolhapure-led faction on October 20 went ahead, and the results were announced the same day. Padmini Kolhapure reportedly secured 604 votes, while Poonam Dhillon received 601 votes, making them the two highest individual vote-getters in that election. However, the Bombay High Court’s direction that the results must not be implemented means those outcomes cannot currently be acted upon. The court’s notice concerns the alleged breach of its earlier directions, and the respondents have been asked to respond to the allegations through the legal process.
The CINTAA dispute has also been complicated by a separate election held on September 12 under the process initiated by FWICE. Reports stated that members from a group associated with the earlier resignations secured the majority of executive committee seats in that poll. The competing election processes have created uncertainty over the association’s leadership and governance, with the parties advancing different positions on who has the authority to organise and oversee its elections. The legal proceedings are expected to play an important role in determining how the dispute proceeds and which election process, if any, can ultimately be recognised.
With the next hearing scheduled for November 18, attention will now turn to CINTAA’s response to the contempt notice and the court’s further directions. The latest order places a clear restriction on implementing the October 20 election results while the matter remains before the court. For the association and its members, the outcome could have important implications for its leadership and future functioning. Until further judicial directions are issued, the results of the disputed election remain on hold, and the wider question of CINTAA’s electoral process continues to be contested.