Rajinikanth's wife Latha to face trial over non-payment of dues as Supreme Court sets aside Karnataka HC order

Superstar Rajinikanth’s wife Latha Rajinikanth will face a trial for not complying with an undertaking to pay back her loan of Rs 6.2 crore to an advertising agency which had given money to a firm — in which she was a director — during the post-production of 2014 film Kochadaiiyaan, as per TV reports. The Supreme Court set aside an earlier Karnataka High Court order, which had quashed proceedings against her. Latha reportedly said she will not be able to pay the dues.

#BREAKING -- Superstar @rajinikanth's wife to face trial in the cheating case. Supreme Court sets aside Karnataka HC order | @utkarsh_aanand with more details pic.twitter.com/MHeIaVbO7f

— News18 (@CNNnews18) July 10, 2018

The Supreme Court had pulled up Latha for not complying with the undertaking last Tuesday. During the hearing, the counsel appearing for Latha said she had not authorised the lawyer to give such an undertaking before the court earlier. The apex court heard a plea filed by the advertising agency against the 10 March, 2016 order of the Karnataka High Court quashing the proceedings against Latha, which were initiated after a trial court order. [caption id=“attachment_4707411” align=“alignnone” width=“825”] Latha Rajinikanth. Image via Twitter[/caption] Latha had approached the high court after the trial court had referred the private complaint filed by the advertising agency to the police for investigation. During the hearing on Tuesday, the apex court observed, “We do not think that this is a case for quashing…We had kept the matter pending because you had said that you will pay the amount,” the bench said and posted the matter for hearing on 10 July. “You go and face the trial and if you are innocent, you will be acquitted,” the bench observed. On 20 February , the apex court had said if the firm — Mediaone Global Entertainment Ltd — does not pay the dues to advertising agency AD-Bureau Advertising Pvt Ltd within three months, then Latha would have to pay the amount as per undertaking given by her. The advertising agency had alleged in its complaint that they had ventured in the post-production of the film Kochadaiiyaan, which was produced by Mediaone Global Entertainment Ltd on Latha’s personal guarantee and had funded Rs 10 crore for it. It had claimed that Mediaone Global Entertainment Ltd, in which Latha was a director, was required to refund Rs 10 crore plus Rs 1.2 crore being the “guaranteed profit”. With inputs from Press Trust of India.