Issue bailable warrant against R Sarathkumar, Radhika Sarathkumar: Court

Chennai: A Fast Track Court (FTC) in the city has ordered issuance of bailable warrants against actors R.Sarathkumar and his wife Radhika Sarathkumar and Listin Stephen for their personal appearance before the court in connection with seven cheque bounce cases.

When the seven cheque bounce cases came up for hearing on June 28, Sarathkumar, Radhika Sarathkumar and Listin Stephen were absent. Petitions under section 317 Cr.P.C. to dispense with their personal appearance were filed. Dismissing their petitions, Fast Track Court-III, Saidapet, ordered issuance of bailable warrants against them and posted to July 12, further hearing of the cases.

According to Abudukumar, counsel for the complainant M/s Radiance Media P Ltd, the Magic Frames company, in which Sarath Kumar, Radhikla Sarath Kumar and Listin Stephen were partners, borrowed a sum of Rs 1.50 crore from Radiance Media, a film financing company, and issued two cheques. Subsequently, Sarath Kumar had obtained a hand loan of Rs 50 lakh from Radiance Media and issued five cheques for Rs 10 lakh each. When the cheques were presented for payment, they were returned. Hence, Radiance Media filed the present seven cheque bounce cases, Abudu Kumar added.

Challenging the criminal proceedings pending before FTC-III, Sarathkumar and Radhika Sarathkumar 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 actors R.Sarathkumar and his wife Radhika Sarath Kumar and two others. The judge had also directed the FTC-III in Saidapet to complete the trial within 6 months.

The judge, however, had quashed the criminal proceedings in respect of five other cheque bounce cases against Radhika Sarathkumar and Listin Stephen. But, dismissed the petitions filed by Sarathkumar to quash the proceedings against him in these five cases.