Filmmaker Ram Gopal Varma, has been sentenced to three months in jail by the Andheri Magistrate Court in Mumbai in connection with a cheque-bounce case. The case dates back to 2018 and was filed by a company named Shree through its representative Maheshchandra Mishra, accusing Varma’s company of issuing a cheque that bounced due to insufficient funds.

The court found Varma guilty under the provisions of the Negotiable Instruments Act, which deals with cases of dishonored cheques. Along with the jail sentence, the filmmaker was also directed to pay a compensation amounnt of $4,520 to the complainant within three months. If he fails to pay the compensation within this timeframe, the court has warned that filmmaker must serve an additional three months in jail.

The case, which has been ongoing for several years, took almost seven years to reach a conclusion. Since Varma was absent during the court hearing, the judge issued a non-bailable arrest warrant against him, further complicating the matter.