Mumbai court has finally issued a decision in the long-going cheque bounce case against filmmaker Ram Gopal Varma and sentenced him to three months in jail. Besides that, a non-bailable warrant has also been issued against the filmmaker, known for giving hits such as Rangeela and Satya. The decision in the case has come after seven years, reported Telangana Today. The verdict was initially scheduled for January 21, but Varma skipped the session, leading to the Andheri Magistrate court taking the final call.
Sections Under Which He Has Been Penalised
He was found guilty under Section 138 of the Negotiable Instruments Act, which ‘penalises cheque dishonour due to insufficient funds or exceeding the account’s arranged amount.’ As part of the verdict, Varma is required to pay a compensation of Rs 3.75 lakh to the complainant within a three-month timeframe. Failure to comply will result in an additional three-month prison sentence.
This legal development comes at a time when Varma is gearing up for his upcoming project, Syndicate, which was recently announced. Sharing details about it, Ram wrote on X, “The film is called SYNDICATE. It’s about a terrifying organisation which threatens the very EXISTENCE of INDIA.” He added, “SYNDICATE will be a very SCARY FILM not due to any super natural elements, but because it will SCARILY expose, what HORRORS HUMAN BEINGS CAN DO.”
What’s The Case About?
The case against Ram Gopal Varma originated from a 2018 complaint filed by Shree, a company represented by Maheshchandra Mishra. He alleged that a cheque issued by Varma’s firm had bounced due to insufficient funds.
Varma was granted bail in June 2022 after providing a personal bond and a Rs 5,000 security deposit. The magistrate specified that there would be no ‘set-off under Section 428 of the Code of Criminal Procedure’ since Varma was not in custody during the trial.
Following multiple hearings and legal proceedings, the court ultimately ruled against Varma, concluding that sufficient evidence supported the allegations.
The filmmaker later too to his X handle to issue a statement in the case. He wrote, “With regard to the news about me and Andheri court, I want to clarify that it is to do with a 7 year old case of Rs 2 lakh 38 thousand amount , relating to my ex-employee .. My advocates are attending to it. and since the matter is in court i cannot say anything further.”
