HYDERABAD: Cyberabad cyber crime police detained absconding Tollywood actor Shivaji Sontineni at the Rajiv Gandhi International Airport (RGIA) on Wednesday in connection with the TV9 forgery case. H was taken into custody and questioned for two hours before being let go.
They had registered a case earlier on Shivaji, former TV9 CEO V Ravi Prakash and CFO KVN Murthy on charges of forgery, cheating and criminal conspiracy.
Shivaji was expected to fly to the US today. Minutes after Shivaji arrived at the airport, immigration officials informed the police who had issued a lookout notice. The actor had ignored three summons from Cyberabad Police.
He has been directed to appear before the police on July 11 for further investigation.
Shivaji was accused of being a co-conspirator in fraudulently acquiring 40,000 shares of TV9 with Prakash and Murthy. The complaint was filed by Alanda Media and Entertainments Pvt. Ltd, who now own the TV9 media group.
The Telangana HC on June 27 passed a stay order, restraining the state police from carrying out proceedings against Shivaji.
Justice Ghandikota Sri Devi extended the order to July 9 while dealing the petition filed by Shivaji, who approached the court with a criminal petition seeking to quash the FIR registered against him. He claimed he had transferred Rs 20 lakh to Ravi Prakash in February last year towards purchase of 40,000 shares of the latter.
(With online desk inputs)