SC pulls up Rajinikanth's wife for non-compliance of undertaking

The Supreme Court today pulled up superstar Rajinikanth's wife Latha Rajinikanth for not complying with an undertaking to pay Rs 6.2 crore to an advertising agency which had given money to a firm, in which she was a director, during the post-production of 2014 film 'Kochadaiiyaan'.

"We do not like people playing around with court's order," a bench of Justices Ranjan Gogoi and R Banumathi observed.

During the hearing, the counsel appearing for Latha said she had not authorised the lawyer to give such an undertaking before the court earlier.

To this, the bench said, "the long and short of it is that you (Latha) have not paid and the law will take its own course. We will pass order".

The apex court is hearing a plea filed by the advertising agency against the March 10, 2016 order of the Karnataka High Court quashing the proceedings against Latha, which were initiated after a trial court order.

Latha had approached the high court after the trial court had referred the private complaint filed by the advertising agency to the police for investigation.

During the hearing today, the apex court observed, "We do not think that this is a case for quashing".

"We had kept the matter pending because you had said that you will pay the amount," the bench said and posted the matter for hearing on July 10.

"You go and face the trial and if you are innocent, you will be acquitted," the bench observed.

On February 20, the apex court had said if the firm - Mediaone Global Entertainment Ltd - does not pay the dues to advertising agency AD-Bureau Advertising Pvt Ltd within three months, then Latha would have to pay the amount as per undertaking given by her.

The advertising agency had alleged in its complaint that they had ventured in the post-production of the film 'Kochadaiiyaan', which was produced by Mediaone Global Entertainment Ltd on Latha's personal guarantee and had funded Rs 10 crore for it.

It had claimed that Mediaone Global Entertainment Ltd, in which Latha was a director, was required to refund Rs 10 crore plus Rs 1.2 crore being the "guaranteed profit".