Filmmaker Ram Gopal Varma sentenced to 3 months in jail

Along with the jail sentence, the filmmaker was also directed to pay a compensation amount.

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Indian filmmaker Ram Gopal Varma, has been sentenced to three months in jail by the Andheri Magistrate Court in Mumbai in connection with a cheque bounce case.

The case dates back to 2018 and was filed by a company named Shree through its representative Maheshchandra Mishra, accusing Varma’s company of issuing a cheque that bounced due to insufficient funds.

The court found Ram Gopal Varma guilty under the provisions of the Negotiable Instruments Act, which deals with cases of dishonored cheques. Along with the jail sentence, the filmmaker was also directed to pay a compensation amounnt of $4,520 to the complainant within three months. If Ram Gopal Varma fails to pay the compensation within this timeframe, the court has warned that he must serve an additional three months in jail.

The case, which Along with the jail sentence, the filmmaker was also directed to pay a compensation has been ongoing for several years, took almost seven years to reach a conclusion. Since Ram Gopal Varma was absent during the court hearing, the judge issued a non-bailable arrest warrant against him, further complicating the matter.

Despite the verdict, Ram Gopal Varma’s legal team is reportedly handling the situation, and the director took to social media platform X (formerly Twitter) to offer clarification. In his post, Ram Gopal Varma explained that the case relates to an amount of involving an ex-employee, and he could not provide further details as the matter is still under litigation.

Ram Gopal Varma responded to the news of his sentencing through a post on X, stating: “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 ₹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.”

This cheque bounce case has added to the legal troubles faced by the director. However, it hasn’t halted Ram Gopal Varma’s ongoing work in the film industry. His most recent directorial venture was Vyuham, a film released in 2024 that revolves around the death of former Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy.

The filmmaker has also announced his next project, Syndicate, which he describes as a “scary film” that will expose the horrors humans are capable of, without involving supernatural elements.

The case dates back to 2018 when the company Shree filed a complaint against Ram Gopal Varma’s firm under the Negotiable Instruments Act. The complaint stemmed from an unpaid amount that was supposed to be settled through a cheque. Varma’s failure to ensure the cheque had sufficient funds led to the bounce, resulting in the lawsuit.

While the filmmaker had previously secured bail in 2022, he was convicted in this case earlier this week. Ram Gopal Varma’s absence from the court hearing on the day the verdict was announced led to the issuance of the non-bailable arrest warrant.