Mumbai, 6 Dec

A Mumbai court has directed the police to lodge a case of cheating, criminal conspiracy and forgery against film director Ali Abbas Zafar and two others on a complaint filed by veteran producer Vashu Bhagnani.

Magistrate Komalsing Rajput, while giving direction to the police to file the criminal case, noted that the allegations against the trio were serious.

Bhagnani had moved the Bandra magistrate's court seeking a case against Zafar, who helmed the 2024 movie 'Bade Miyan Chote Miyan', and two of his associates -- Himanshu Mehra and Ekesh Randive -- for allegedly cheating him and siphoning off his money.

Magistrate Rajput, in an order passed on December 2, said the offences are cognizable and non-bailable.

"The allegations are serious. All the aspects lead to inference that thorough interrogation seems necessary," the court observed.

It asked the Bandra police station to register a case under IPC sections 120(b) (criminal conspiracy), 406 (criminal breach of trust), 420 (cheating), 465 (forgery), 471 (fraud), 500 (defamation) and 506 (criminal intimidation) against Zafar and the two others, and investigate the matter.

The court noted that the trio lured Bhagnani into paying various amounts from time to time and in breach of contract incurred additional expenses and did not provide any account of these expenses.

The magistrate maintained the allegations levelled by Bhagnani are supported by documents, including agreement, payment vouchers, cost sheets and WhatsApp chats.

"The total amount of alleged fraud and cheating in the several transactions is very high. The number of transactions is also very high," the court pointed out.

As per the complaint, Bhagnani had in February 2021 signed four films with Bollywood superstar Akshay Kumar, including action-comedy 'Bade Miyan Chote Miyan'.  In November 2021, the producer approached Zafar to direct and write the movie.

Zafar allegedly put a condition that he would be working with Mehra and Randive as they are his associates who take care of his accounts, audit and to also manage the film and to assist him.

The director and his associates allegedly assured Bhagnani they would submit all expenses for prior approval and the minimum production cost of the film was fixed at Rs 125 crore which was agreed to be paid by the veteran Bollywood producer.

Bhagnani, in his complaint, claimed the trio defrauded him by submitting forged and fabricated documents showing increased incurred expenses. The complaint further alleged the trio siphoned off most of the amount by manipulating accounts.

The producer claimed he had approached the Bandra police station with a complaint, but no action was taken pursuant to which he moved the court.

Founder of production house Pooja Entertainment, Bhagnani is known for hit Hindi films like 'Coolie No. 1', 'Hero No. 1', 'Pyaar Kiya To Darna Kya', 'Biwi No. 1' and Rehnaa Hai Terre Dil Mein', among others.