Chennai, March 11: The Madras High Court has granted an interim stay on the Enforcement Directorate’s (ED) action of freezing the movable and immovable assets of renowned filmmaker Shankar in connection with the ‘Enthiran’ movie controversy.

The court’s order comes as a relief to the director, whose assets worth ₹11.10 crore were earlier frozen by the ED. The case pertains to financial irregularities linked to the blockbuster film ‘Enthiran’, starring Rajinikanth and Aishwarya Rai, directed by Shankar.

The High Court observed that since a private complaint related to the matter had already been stayed, freezing Shankar’s assets was unwarranted. “When a stay has been imposed on the private complaint, the action of freezing the director’s assets cannot be justified,” the court ruled.

The interim order was issued in response to a petition filed by Shankar, challenging the ED’s move. The court’s ruling provides temporary relief to the acclaimed director while further legal proceedings continue.

This legal development marks a crucial turn in the ongoing dispute, with industry insiders closely watching the case’s outcome.