Kochadaiyaan case: SC says Latha Rajinikanth will have to face trial for fraud

In what is being seen as a big set back to Latha Rajinikanth, the wife of Superstar Rajinikanth, the Supreme Court on Tuesday said that investigations would be made into the case filed against her by the advertising firm, Ad Bureau and that she would be put on trial after a chargesheet was filed.

A Bench, headed by Justice Ranjan Gogoi, issued the order after setting aside a decision of the Karnataka High Court to quash criminal proceedings against Latha Rajinikanth.

The case pertains to a loan that Mediaone Global Entertainment, of which Latha Rajinikanth is a director, took from Ad Bureau Advertising to complete the post-production of the Rajinikanth-starrer Kochadaiiyaan.

Mediaone, which took a loan of Rs14.90 crore, is yet to repay Rs 6.20 crore to Ad Bureau Advertising Pvt Ltd.

Under these circumstances, Ad Bureau filed a case against Mediaone Entertainment in the Karnataka High Court, which quashed criminal proceedings against Latha Rajinikanth, stating that this was not a case of fraud but a breach of agreement.

Ad Bureau then appealed in the Supreme Court against the decision of the Karnataka High Court.

In February this year, the Supreme Court said Latha Rajinkanth would have to repay the money within a period of three months, if Mediaone failed to make the payment to Ad Bureau. Mediaone did not make the payment and Latha Rajinikanth, as per her undertaking, had to make the payment. However, she too, at the end of three months, failed to repay Ad Bureau.

Last week, the Supreme Court had expressed its displeasure over the non-repayment of dues and said, “If you don’t pay, then be ready to face trial.”