BENGALURU: A magistrate court in the city refused to discharge Latha Rajinikanth, wife of actor Rajanikanth, from the proceedings initiated against her based on a private complaint filed by Chennai-based Ad Bureau Advertising Private Limited.
Jyothi Shantappa Kale, XLVIII Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate, Bengaluru, said that prima facie there is a case against the accused. The court said it she cannot be discharged in the absence of any trial or evidence. The case is related to a Tamil movie, Kochadaiyaan, in which Latha’s husband, Rajinikanth, was the lead actor.
Latha was due for payment of Rs. 6.2 crore, but she allegedly created a fake letter dated November 28, 2014, in the name of ‘Publishers And Broadcasters Welfare Association of India Press Club Bengaluru 1996’ and produced it before the 5th City Civil and Sessions Court and obtained a temporary injunction order in the civil suit in 2015.
Thus, she is charge sheeted for the alleged offences. The counsel for Latha argued that the mere fact that she is the beneficiary of the letter under question cannot be grounds to impose criminal liability.
The counsel also argued that the dispute between the parties is purely civil in nature and the findings given in the charge sheet cannot be taken entirely, as it lacks criminal liability.