Noted Tollywood director Ram Gopal Varma is in further legal trouble as a court in Mumbai dismissed his petition and issued a non-bailable warrant against him. This comes a day after the Andhra Pradesh High Court gave him temporary relief, staying proceedings in the cases filed against him for six weeks. Now, with the legal fight increasing in Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra, Varma is in touch with his legal advisors closely to decide on the next step.
The Mumbai case is based on a cheque bounce case of a film producer. A lower court had previously sentenced Varma to three months in prison and directed him to pay the producer ₹3.72 lakh. In a bid to reverse this ruling, he had moved a petition asking for his sentence to be set aside. The court, however, rejected his plea, affirming the initial judgment.
In another huge blow, the Mumbai Sessions Court declined to cancel his prison term but gave him the choice to come before the judge and officially seek bail. At the same time, the court issued a non-bailable warrant, fixing June 28 as the next date of hearing.
While Ram Gopal Varma fights legal battles on several fronts, the next few weeks would be decisive in deciding his legal destiny. As court cases are piling up and pressure builds up, the director’s lawyers are now working to plan the best possible defense.