CHENNAI: Almost 29 years after the Central Bureau of Investigation registered a Rs 10.19 crore bank fraud case against the then-prominent Tamil film producer G Venkateswaran on a complaint by Central Bank of India, a Chennai special court on Tuesday convictied all nine accused.
However, charges against four of them, including Venkateswaran and three other bank officials, abated as they are dead. The elder brother of director Mani Ratnam, Venkateswaran died by suicide on May 3, 2003.
According to an official release by CBI, the agency had registered the case on October 30, 1996 based on a complaint from Central Bank of India, Nungambakkam branch, Chennai which alleged that Venkateswaran and others along with officials of Central Bank of India conspired during 1988 to 1992 and availed credit facilities and term loan facilities in the names of Sujatha Films Pvt Ltd and GV Films Ltd represented by Venkateswaran.
CBI alleged that false documents were produced and bank officials abused their official position to induce the bank to part with its funds in favour of the accused companies and caused a wrongful loss of Rs 10.19 crore to the bank.
The chargesheet was filed in December 2000 against nine accused.