CHENNAI: The Special Court trying cases against MP and MLAs on Wednesday convicted actor couple Sarathkumar, Radhika and one other person in a 2018 cheque bounce case and sentenced them to one year's imprisonment. The court also imposed a penalty of Rs 5 crores in connection with the case.
The issue pertains to Radiance Media Private Ltd moving a plea alleging that Magic Frames company, in which Sarathkumar, Radhika and Listin Stephen are partners, had borrowed Rs 1.50 crore, which is a film financing company, and issued two cheques. Subsequently, Sarath had obtained a hand loan of Rs 50 lakh from Radiance Media. In return, he had issued five cheques for Rs 10 lakh each. When the cheques were presented for realisation, they all bounced.
Earlier, the actor duo moved the High Court challenging the criminal proceedings initiated against them in the Saidapet fast track court.
However, in May 2019, Justice GK Illanthiraiyan declined to quash the criminal proceedings in two cheque bounce cases pending against Sarathkumar, Radhika and two others.
The judge had also directed the fast track court in Saidapet to complete the trial within six months. In the meantime, the case was transferred to the Special Court for MP/MLAs in the Chennai Collectorate complex.
On Wednesday, the case came up for hearing before Judge N Alicia who recorded the submissions made by the counsels and sentenced the actor couple to one year of imprisonment.
The court also allowed the suspension of the sentence petition moved by Sarathkumar stating that the issue will be resolved.