Filmmaker and screenwriter Ram Gopal Varma has been sentenced to three months in jail in the old cheque bounce case. Ram Gopal Varma was sentenced today, on January 23, by a Mumbai court. A non-bailable warrant has also been issued against him for execution of the sentence as per the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) as Ram Gopal Varma failed to present himself before the court.
Judicial Magistrate (First Class) in Andheri, YP Pujari, had convicted Ram Gopal Varma for the offence punishable under the provisions of the Negotiable Instruments Act on Tuesday, January 21.
Apart from a jail sentence, Ram Gopal Varma has also been ordered to pay ₹3.72 lakh in compensation to the complainant. The filmmaker has been directed to pay the amount within three months. If Ram Gopal Varma fails to pay ₹3.72 lakh to the complainant, he will have to face an additional three months of imprisonment.
The court found Ram Gopal Varma guilty under Section 138 of the Negotiable Instruments Act which ‘penalises cheque dishonour due to insufficient funds or exceeding the account’s arranged amount’.
Reacting to his sentencing and a non-bailable warrant against him, Ram Gopal Varma said, “With regard to the news about me and Andheri court, I want to clarify that it is to do with a 7-year-old case of ₹2.38 lakhs relating to an ex-employee.”
“It is not about settling the meagre ₹2.4 lakhs but is about refusing to be exploited in the attempts to fabricate. That’s all I can say for now as it’s in court,” he said.
The case dates back to 2018 when Shree, a company representated by one Maheshchandra Mishra, alleged that a cheque issued by Ram Gopal Varma's firm bounced. The filmmaker was granted bail in April 2022 on a personal bond and a security of ₹5,000.
The magistrate later noted that there would be no “set-off under Section 428 of the Code of Criminal Procedure” as the filmmaker had not spent any time in custody.
In November 2024, Ram Gopal Varma was booked in Prakasam district for allegedly posting morphed images of Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu and Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan on social media during Vyooham promotions.
The complaint was filed by TDP Mandal Secretary Ramalingam, accusing Ram Gopal Varma of tarnishing the reputations of several TDP leaders, including CM Naidu, his son Nara Lokesh, daughter-in-law Brahmani, and other Telegu Desum Party members.
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