The Supreme Court restores criminal charges against Rajinikanth's wife Latha related to the film 'Kochadaiiyaan'

The Supreme Court on Tuesday restored the alleged criminal charges against Latha Rajinikanth in a matter pertaining to the Tamil film ‘Kochadaiiyaan‘.

What the order says

A bench of Justice AS Bopanna and MM Sundresh passed the order while hearing petitions challenging the Karnataka High Court judgement.

“Accordingly, the SLP(Crl) No. 9818/2022 and SLP(Crl.) No. 8327/2022 is disposed of by restoring the final report filed. However, liberty is granted to the petitioner(s) in SLP(Crl.) No.8327/2022 to file an appropriate application, if so advised, seeking discharge,” the court said.

“We make it clear that if such application is filed on behalf of the petitioner(s), the findings rendered under the impugned order will not stand in the way, and the Trial Court is directed,” the court said.

“Taking into consideration the further submissions made, the physical presence of the petitioner-accused shall stand dispensed with until and unless the same is required by the Trial Court,” the court said.

“We further make it clear that we have not expressed any opinions on the merits of the case and it is well open to the parties to resolve the issue, also through mediation,” the court said.

The impugned order dated August 2, 2022, passed by the High Court of Karnataka at Bengaluru, has been challenged by both the contesting parties.

After hearing both sides, the court was of the opinion that in view of the earlier order passed by this Court on 10th July 2018 in Criminal Appeal, the only way open to the petitioners is either to file an application seeking discharge or to face the trial.

Chennai-based Ad Bureau Advertising Pvt Ltd has challenged the Karnataka High Court order, which quashed the cheating case against Latha.

On August 2, 2022, the Karnataka High Court gave some relief to Latha, by quashing the cheating charges against her but maintained the forgery cases against her. She also challenged the HC decision in the Supreme Court.

What had happened?

Back in 2018, The Supreme Court pulled up Latha Rajinikanth for failing to pay the dues over the 2014 film, News 18 reported.

She had taken Rs 14.90 crore loan from Bengaluru-based Ad-Bureau Advertising to finish post-production work of Rajinikanth and Deepika Padukone-starrer Kochadaiiyaan, directed by Rajinikanth’s younger daughter Soundarya. The amount outstanding was Rs 6.20 crore.

Keeping the petition by Ad-Bureau Advertising pending for three months, the bench of Justice Ranjan Gogoi and Justice R Banumathi, in their order, said that Mediaone would pay the amount in three months failing which Latha would bear the burden of payment.

With added inputs from agencies

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