Filmmaker Ram Gopal Varma has been sentenced to three months in jail in a check bounce case. Andheri Magistrate Court, which has been hearing the case for seven years, gave the verdict on Tuesday.
‘Satya’, ‘Rangeela’ fame Mr Verma was not present during the hearing, due to which the court had to issue a non-bailable warrant (NBW) for his arrest.
âWith regard to the news about me and the Andheri Court, I would like to clarify that this pertains to a 7 year old case of Rs 2 lakh 38 thousand related to a former employee. This is not about the settlement the film producer has taken in a âThis is a very small amount, but it is being denied that it has been used in counterfeiting efforts,â the statement said. Anyway, that’s all I can say right now because the matter is in court.”
The case involves a check issued by Mr Verma’s firm which could not be encashed, an offense under Section 138 of the Negotiable Instruments Act. This section imposes penalty on check dishonor due to insufficient funds or amount exceeding the prescribed limit.
Mr Verma has also been ordered to pay compensation of Rs 3.72 lakh to the complainant within three months or face additional simple imprisonment for three months.
Background of the case
The case was initiated in 2018 against Mr Verma’s firm by a company called Shree, represented by Maheshchandra Mishra.
The filmmaker has faced financial troubles in recent years, which worsened during the COVID-19 pandemic when he had to sell his office.
Mr Verma was granted bail in June 2022 after furnishing a personal bond and cash security of Rs 5,000. However, while pronouncing the sentence, Magistrate YP Pujari clarified that director Verma was not eligible for any remission under Section 428 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, as he had not spent any time in custody during the trial.
