A sessions court in Mumbai recently set aside film director Ram Gopal Varma’s conviction and sentencing in a cheque bounce case and acquitted him of the charges while hearing an appeal.
Allowing the appeal before a Lok Adalat on September 13, the court stated, “The impugned judgment and order dated 21-01-2025 by the learned Metropolitan Magistrate, Andheri, Mumbai…is hereby set aside. The appellants are hereby acquitted for the offence punishable under section 138 of the Negotiable Instruments Act, in view of the Compromise Memo.” The detailed order of the sessions court is yet to be made available.
The case was filed on a complaint by a company named Shree which claimed that tax invoices of Rs 2.38 lakh, to be paid by Varma’s firm, were raised for the supply of hard disks in 2018. However, two cheques issued in June and August 2018 were allegedly dishonoured due to insufficient funds.
In January, a magistrate court in Andheri found Varma guilty in the case registered under the Negotiable Instruments Act and sentenced him to three months in jail. The filmmaker was, however, granted bail and the sentence was suspended to allow him time to file an appeal. The Negotiable Instruments Act is invoked in cases where a cheque bounces due to insufficient funds or other reasons.
Previously, it was submitted before the court that both parties want to settle the case amicably through mediation.
Following the sentencing in January, Varma had said that the case involved his former employee. “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,” he had posted on X.
