Ram Gopal Varma sentenced to three months jail in cheque bounce case

Ram Gopal Varma has been asked to pay Rs 3.72 lakh compensation within three months or face an additional three months in jail

Mumbai’s Andheri Magistrate Court on Tuesday sentenced filmmaker Ram Gopal Varma to three months simple imprisonment in a cheque bounce case. The case, which dates back seven years, also led to the issuance of a non-bailable warrant against the movie director.  

 

Ram Gopal Varma was found guilty under Section 138 of the Negotiable Instruments Act, which deals with cheque dishonour due to insufficient funds or exceeding the account limit. The court ordered him to pay Rs 3.75 lakh as compensation to the complainant. If the amount is not cleared within three months, Varma faces an additional three months in jail.  

 

The complaint was filed in 2018 by Shree company, represented by Maheshchandra Mishra, against Ram Gopal Varma’s firm. The filmmaker was granted bail in 2022 after furnishing a personal bond and a Rs 5,000 security deposit.  

 

Importantly, the magistrate stated that RGV would not receive a set-off under Section 428 of the Code of Criminal Procedure since he was not in custody during the trial.  

 

Ram Gopal Varma reacts  

 

The director was reportedly absent during the hearing, and a detailed judgment is awaited. However, he addressed the issue on X (formerly Twitter), saying: “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 my ex-employee. My advocates are attending to it. And since the matter is in court, I cannot say anything further.”  

 

What’s next for Ram Gopal Varma?  

 

While this legal matter unfolds, Ram Gopal Varma remains busy with his upcoming projects. He recently directed Vyuham, a film centered on the untimely death of former Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Rajasekhara Reddy.  

 

The director also made headlines by announcing his next venture, Syndicate, which he described as a gripping story about a dangerous organisation threatening India. Sharing details on X (formerly Twitter), he wrote: “The film is called SYNDICATE. It’s about a terrifying organisation which threatens the very EXISTENCE of INDIA. SYNDICATE will be a very SCARY FILM, not due to any supernatural elements, but because it will SCARILY expose what HORRORS HUMAN BEINGS CAN DO.”