Chennai: Renowned South Indian actress Jaya Prada has been handed a six-month jail sentence by a Chennai court in connection with a case that stretches back several years.

Along with the jail term, she has also been fined Rs 5,000. The case also involves her business partners, Ram Kumar and Raja Babu, who have been found guilty alongside the actress.

The case revolves around a movie theatre owned by Jaya Prada and her partners in Chennai. The cinema hall was shut down due to financial losses some years ago. Subsequently, the theatre staff filed a complaint asserting that the Employment State Insurance (ESI) deductions from their salaries were not reimbursed.

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The Labour Government Insurance Corporation then brought a case against Jaya Prada, Ram Kumar, and Raja Babu, which was heard at the Egmore Magistrate Court in Chennai.

While Jaya Prada reportedly acknowledged her involvement in the case and expressed her commitment to settling the outstanding dues owed to the theater staff, she also pleaded for the case to be dismissed. Despite her appeal, the court ruled against her and pronounced a sentence of six months in jail, accompanied by a fine of Rs 5,000.

(This is a developing story)