On Tuesday, The Andheri Magistrate Court announced the verdict of cheque bounce case in which Ram Gopal Varma, filmmaker has been sentenced to three months jail.
YP Pujari, Judicial Magistrate in Andheri had convicted Ram Gopal Varma for the offence punishable under the provisions of the Negotiable Instruments Act. The case was initiated in 2018 by a company named Shree, represented by Maheshchandra Mishra, against Varma’s production firm.
Back in June 2022, the director secured bail after submitting a personal bond and a ₹5000 security deposit. The magistrate clarified that no relief under Section 428 of the Code of Criminal Procedure would be applicable in this case, as Varma was not in custody during the trial.
The court also ordered Ram Gopal Varma to pay ₹3.72 lakh in compensation to the complainant. The filmmaker has been directed to pay the amount within three months. If Ram Gopal Varma fails to pay ₹3.72 lakh to the complainant, he will have to face an additional three months of imprisonment.
The court found him guilty under Section 138 of the Negotiable Instruments Act which ‘penalises cheque dishonour due to insufficient funds or exceeding the account’s arranged amount.
Reacting to the incident, Ram Gopal Varma stated on X, “Regarding the news about me and the Andheri court, I want to clarify that it pertains to a 7-year-old case involving Rs 2.38 lakh related to my ex-employee. My advocates are handling the matter, and since it is sub judice, I cannot comment further.”
The court had initially scheduled the verdict for January 21, a day before Varma announced his upcoming film Syndicate. However, the filmmaker chose to skip the session.
