Hyderabad: The Telangana High Court on Friday stayed a cheating case registered against popular film director Ram Gopal Varma at the Miyapur police station on a complaint by Sekhar Raju of Sekhara Arts, who alleged that the former had borrowed money to the tune of `56 lakhs from him for producing a Telugu movie titled ‘Disha’.
Based on a court referred complaint, a case was booked against Varma under relevant IPC Sections at Miyapur police station.
According to the complainant, Varma borrowed the amount from him for producing a movie ‘Disha’ in 2020 but later cheated him.
Senior counsel D.V. Sitharam Murthy appeared for Varma and submitted that Sekhar Raju only approached his client stating that he intended to produce a film and requested Varma to direct the same. In this connection, the complainant transferred the said amount on three separate occasions.
It was submitted that the complainant expressed his inability to raise any funds further. As the making of movie was stalled in the middle, Varma agreed to return the money in case someone else produced the film and upon the release of the film. The film was later produced by one Anuraag Kancherla and Shekar Raju was the associate producer of the film, which was mentioned in the trailer released on September 26, 2020.
Considering the case briefs, the High Court stayed all further proceedings on the FIR filed against Varma and posted the matter for further hearing on June 17.
