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Last Updated: March 06, 2025, 13:59 IST
Non-Bailable Warrant Issued Against Ram Gopal Varma Following Cheque Bounce Conviction
A sessions court has recently issued a non-bailable warrant for filmmaker Ram Gopal Varma after he failed to secure a stay on his jail sentence in a cheque bounce case. The Judicial Magistrate (First Class) Y P Pujari convicted Varma earlier this year, under the provisions of the Negotiable Instruments Act, for an incident that dates back to 2018.
In the judgment delivered on January 21, the magistrate sentenced Varma to a three-month imprisonment and ordered him to compensate the complainant with a payment of Rs 3,72,219 within a three-month timeframe.
Following this conviction, Varma sought to appeal the sentence at the sessions court, aiming for a suspension of the imposed jail time. However, Additional Sessions Judge A A Kulkarni dismissed his appeal on March 4, leading to the issuance of the non-bailable warrant after Varma failed to present himself before the court.
The next hearing has been scheduled for July 28, 2025, during which the warrant execution will be addressed.
The judge indicated that Varma can apply for bail after he appears in court. The issue originated when a company filed a cheque bounce complaint against Varma’s firm in 2018. The legal representative for the complainant provided an affidavit illustrating that the company had been providing hard disks for years and had issued various invoices totaling Rs 2,38,220 based on their transactions with Varma’s firm in early 2018.
On June 1, 2018, the filmmaker issued a cheque; however, it was returned due to insufficient funds. Following this, a second cheque of the same amount was issued but was also dishonored, this time due to a “payment stopped by drawer” notification. As a result, the complainant found themselves with no choice but to pursue legal action.
Ram Gopal Varma is recognized for his contributions to Indian cinema, directing notable films such as “Satya,” “Rangeela,” “Company,” and “Sarkar,” which have garnered critical acclaim over the years.
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