Renowned filmmaker Rajkumar Santoshi has been sentenced to two years in jail for a cheque bounce case by a court in Jamnagar, Gujarat. Additionally, the court has directed Santoshi to pay Rs 2 crore to the complainant. The case arose when Santoshi allegedly failed to honor a loan agreement with an industrialist, leading to the bouncing of checks worth Rs 1 crore.
Gujarat: Rajkumar Santoshi, a renowned filmmaker, has been sentenced to two years in prison by a court in Jamnagar, Gujarat, along with a directive to pay Rs 2 crore to the complainant in a cheque bounce case. Santoshi, known for his directorial prowess in action-packed blockbusters like “Ghayal” and “Ghatak,” the compelling court drama “Damini,” and the cult comedy “Andaz Apna Apna,” faced the verdict from Senior Civil Judge VJ Gadhvi.
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The court directed Santoshi to serve a two-year jail term and compensate the complainant with Rs 2 crore, twice the amount originally borrowed. However, Santoshi has been granted a 30-day limitation period to appeal the decision in a higher court, as per the court’s discretion.
Background
The cause of action arises from a financial transaction between Santoshi and Ashok Lal, an industrialist, who alleged that he lent Rs 1 crore to Santoshi for film production. In return, Santoshi issued 10 cheques of Rs 10 lakh each. Unfortunately, these cheques bounced due to insufficient funds in Santoshi’s account, Immediately Ashok Lal to filed a case under Section 138 of the Negotiable Instruments Act when Santoshi failed to rectify the situation.
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Despite attempts by Santoshi to transfer the case to a Mumbai court, Lal’s counsel, Piyush Bhojani, moved to the Sessions Court, resulting in all proceedings remaining in Jamnagar. Subsequently, the court issued summons to Santoshi, who initially failed to respond. Consequently, a bailable warrant was issued against him, compelling Santoshi to make a court appearance.
