Mumbai, 23 January 2025: Filmmaker Ram Gopal Varma has been sentenced to three months in jail in connection with a cheque bounce case from 2018.
The Andheri Magistrate Court delivered the verdict after a seven-year-long legal battle involving a Rs 2.38 lakh cheque issued by Varma’s company, which was dishonored due to insufficient funds.
Varma, known for films like Satya and Rangeela, was absent from the hearing, prompting the court to issue a non-bailable warrant (NBW) for his arrest.
In response, the filmmaker released a statement explaining that the case stemmed from an issue with a former employee and was not about settling the debt but about resisting attempts to fabricate charges.
“The case is about a seven-year-old matter concerning Rs 2.38 lakh involving a former employee. It is not about paying the small sum but about preventing exploitation through false claims,” Varma mentioned.
Under Section 138 of the Negotiable Instruments Act, dishonoring a cheque due to insufficient funds is a criminal offense, and the court found Varma’s actions violated this section. In addition to the jail sentence, Varma was also ordered to pay Rs 3.72 lakh in compensation to the complainant within three months, or face an additional term of imprisonment.
The case was filed by a company called Shree, represented by Maheshchandra Mishra, in 2018. Despite facing financial challenges in recent years, especially during the Covid-19 pandemic when he had to sell his office, Varma’s legal troubles continue to mount.
Varma had been granted bail in June 2022 after providing a personal bond and cash security of Rs 5,000. However, during the sentencing, Magistrate YP Pujari clarified that Varma would not receive any set-off under Section 428 of the Code of Criminal Procedure since he had not been in custody during the trial.
