A fast track court in Chennai has issued bailable warrants against actor-turned-politician R. Sarathkumar and his wife, actor Radhika Sarathkumar, in connection with seven cheque bounce cases related to a company in which they were partners.
The court issued the warrants against the couple and Listin Stephen, a partner in Magic Frames Company, while dismissing their plea for dispensing with their personal appearance.
The three were absent when the case came up for hearing on Friday and petitions were filed under Section 317 of the CrPC seeking to dispense with personal appearance.
The judge dismissed the petitions and issued bailable warrants. He posted the matter for further hearing on July 12.
Abudu Kumar, counsel for complainant Radiance Media P Ltd, said Magic Frames company, in which the three were partners, had borrowed a sum of Rs 1.50 crore from Radiance Media, a film financing company, and issued two cheques.
Subsequently, Sarathkumar, founder of All India Samathuva Makkal Katchi, had obtained a hand loan of Rs 50 lakh from Radiance Media and issued five cheques for Rs 10 lakh each.
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When the cheques were presented for payment, they were returned, following which Radiance Media filed the seven cases of cheque bounce, Abudu Kumar added.
Challenging the criminal proceedings pending before FTC-III, Sarathkumar and Radhika had filed petitions in the Madras High Court.
Justice G.K. Illanthiraiyan had, on May 8, declined to quash the criminal proceedings in two cheque bounce cases pending against Sarathkumar, Radhika and two others.
The judge had also directed the FTC-III in Saidapet to complete the trial within six months.
The judge, however, had quashed the criminal proceedings in five other cheque bounce cases against Radhika and Stephen.
He dismissed petitions filed by Sarathkumar seeking to quash the proceedings against him in these five cases.