Kartik Aaryan’s Naagzilla faces Rs 3.92 crore financial irregularities probe; 3 denied pre-arrest bail
New Delhi: A Dindoshi Sessions Court has dismissed the pre-arrest bail applications of three production team members involved in the feature film Naagzilla, citing the need for police custody to track alleged financial irregularities exceeding Rs 3.92 crore.
Additional Sessions Judge M. Mohiuddin M.A. turned down the pleas filed by signing authority Kuldeep Singh Champawat, executive producer Mahipal Karan Rathore, and line producer Shivkumar Tiwari. The trio faces charges of cheating, forgery, and criminal breach of trust following a complaint lodged at the D.N. Nagar police station by Tukaram Sawant, an accountant for co-producers Mahaveer Jain Films.
According to the police complaint, Mahaveer Jain Films and Karan Johar’s Dharma Productions had partnered on the project with a total production outlay of Rs 82.50 crore. The FIR states that the accused bypassed established standard operating procedures to process unaccounted expenditures, clear padded vendor claims, and make disbursements to an entity that provided no actual services on set. Investigative filings further state that the applicants solicited cash commissions and electronic devices from suppliers to approve contracts and release pending payments.
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In the ruling, the sessions court noted that the initial evidence indicates the involvement of substantial financial transactions. The judge observed that denying custody could lead to potential evidence tampering, establishing that custodial interrogation remains essential to determine the full scope of the missing funds.
Starring Kartik Aaryan, Naagzilla remains under active police investigation as authorities trace the final flow of funds.