Drishyam 2 Producer Granted Protection from Arrest in ₹4 Crore Fraud Case

A Delhi court has granted interim protection from arrest to Kumar Mangat Pathak, the producer of the Bollywood blockbuster Drishyam 2, in a case where he is accused of defrauding a businessman of over ₹4 crore. The allegations center on claims that Pathak lured the complainant into investing in the Chinese dubbing and release rights for the film, only for the deal to fall through under suspicious circumstances.

The case, investigated by the Delhi Police’s Economic Offences Wing, involves Pathak, the owner of Panorama Studios, and his associate Bharat Sevak. The complainant alleges that he was misled into transferring funds for the Drishyam 2 project, which starred Ajay Devgn and Tabu. However, Pathak’s lawyer, Vineet Dhanda, argued that no payments were made to Pathak personally, asserting that the funds were deposited into Panorama Studios’ corporate account as an advance for a separate Gujarati film project.

Additional Sessions Judge Saurabh Pratap Singh Laler, in his ruling, noted that the money trail does not currently point to Pathak in his personal capacity. “It is reflected in the corporate ledger as an advance against a different project,” the judge observed, adding that whether this transaction is unrelated to the alleged cheating is a matter for trial. The court further stated that Pathak’s alleged role, primarily linked to a disputed term sheet and telephonic conversations, could be investigated without custodial interrogation, given that most documentary evidence has already been collected.

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The decision provides temporary relief to Pathak as the investigation continues, raising questions about the financial dealings behind one of Bollywood’s most successful films. The case underscores the complexities of film financing and the legal scrutiny facing high-profile industry figures in India’s entertainment sector.

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