HYDERABAD: Actress Genelia D'Souza is in a spot of legal bother for having lent her name to a realty firm that has since fallen foul of its customers. A man who invested his money in the company's housing layout has dragged it to the AP High Court and is insisting that the actress be one of the respondents.
Justice K C Bhanu of the High Court admitted the criminal petition Wednesday and posted the hearing to April 25. He ordered notices to be served on D'Souza as well.Petitioner Chatta Tirupathaiah, a retired employee, alleged in his plea that the actress represented the company, Anjaniputra Infrastructure Pvt Ltd, as its brand ambassador and was also one of its directors.
To promote the housing venture of 500 plots spread over 35 acres at Manikyammaguda in Maheswaram mandal in Ranga Reddy district, she made a video encouraging buyers to purchase plots and duplex apartments in the layout, promising delivery of fully furnished houses within a stipulated period. She also allegedly claimed in the video that she herself had bought a house in the layout.
Tirupathaiah stated that he bought two plots in the layout, investing `48 lakh that had been sent to him by his son and daughter-in-law from the USA. But no construction ever took place at the project site and the buyers were left high and dry.
Tirupataiah first filed a complaint with the first additional chief metropolitan magistrate of Hyderabad on March 16 naming six people, including D'Souza. The magistrate referred the case for investigation to the Saifabad police. Tirupataiah says he found that the FIR filed by the police omitted D'Souza from the list of accused and moved the High Court challenging the omission.
He contended that the magistrate has no power either to restrict the investigation or to omit any name in the FIR.