A Bengaluru court has revived the financial fraud and forgery case against Latha Rajinikanth concerning the 2014 film ‘Kochadaiiyaan’. The court rejected her plea to dismiss the charges, finding sufficient grounds for prosecution. This ruling follows a Supreme Court decision reinstating charges previously dropped by the High Court, paving the way for a full trial.
A Bengaluru court has recently delivered a major verdict in the pending ‘Kochadaiiyaan’ (2014) financial fraud and forgery case against actor Rajinikanth’s wife, Latha Rajinikanth. On the 27th September, the 48th Additional Chief Justice rejected Latha’s ‘dismissal from the case’ petition, stating that “the charges in the case are established; there are grounds to prosecute the accused.”
Financial dispute over ‘Kochadaiiyaan’ sparks controversy
The criminal case arose from a financing issue for the 2014 film ‘Kochadaiyaan’. Latha Rajinikanth was accused of not paying the outstanding amount to the film production company. It was alleged that she had obtained a ‘cake order’ to prohibit the publication of news in the media by showing a letter from a fake organization.
False affidavit and forgery charges intensify the case
The company that filed the complaint accused Latha Rajinikanth of filing a false affidavit in court and misleading the court. It also said that she was trying to block media coverage of the fraud case filed by the company. The civil case was dismissed on December 13, 2015, on the grounds of ‘territorial jurisdiction’. Based on this, criminal proceedings were initiated under sections 196 (false evidence), 199 (false statement), and 463 (preparation of forged document) of the Indian Penal Code.
Full trial to continue soon
The Halasurgate police filed the chargesheet on February 27, 2021. Later, although the Karnataka High Court had dropped some of the charges on August 2, 2022, the Supreme Court overturned that decision on October 10, 2023 and reinstated the charges. In the current ruling, the court has ordered the case against Latha Rajinikanth to proceed, stating that there is sufficient evidence to proceed with the case.
‘Kochadaiiyaan’ – a pioneering but failed experiment
Directed by Soundarya Rajinikanth and written by KS Ravikumar, ‘Kochadaiiyaan’ is an animated period action drama. The film stars Rajinikanth in the main role with Deepika Padukone, with R. Sarathkumar, Aadhi Pinisetty, and Jackie Shroff in crucial roles. Made on a budget of around Rs 120 crore, the 2014 release was a failure at the box office. AR Rahman scored the music, and the film’s songs were a great hit.
Disclaimer: This article reports on a court verdict and legal proceedings related to an ongoing financial fraud and forgery case concerning the 2014 film ‘Kochadaiiyaan’. This content relays the information presented in the court’s recent order and the charges filed by the complainant company and the police.
