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Filmmaker Ram Gopal Varma has been sentenced to three months in jail in a cheque bounce case. The Andheri Magistrate Court, which has been hearing the case for seven years, delivered the verdict on Tuesday.
Mr Varma, of 'Satya', 'Rangeela' fame, was not present during the hearing which led the court to issue a non-bailable warrant (NBW) for his arrest.
"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 an ex-employee. It is not about settling the meagre amount but is about refusing to be exploited in the attempts to fabricate. Anyway, that's all I can say for now as it's in court," the filmmaker said in a statement.
The case involves a cheque issued by Mr Varma's firm that could not be encashed, an offence under Section 138 of the Negotiable Instruments Act. This section penalises cheque dishonour due to insufficient funds or amounts exceeding the arranged limit.
Mr Varma has also been ordered to pay Rs 3.72 lakh in compensation to the complainant within three months or face an additional three months of simple imprisonment.
Case Background
The case was initiated in 2018 by a company named Shree, represented by Maheshchandra Mishra, against Mr Varma's firm.
The filmmaker has faced financial troubles in recent years, exacerbated during the Covid-19 pandemic when he had to sell his office.
Mr Varma was granted bail in June 2022 after furnishing a personal bond and cash security of Rs 5,000. However, during sentencing, Magistrate YP Pujari clarified that the director Varma was not eligible for any set-off under Section 428 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, as he had not spent any time in custody during the trial.