Bengaluru Court denies Latha Rajinikanth’s plea for discharge in forgery case

A Bengaluru court has rejected Latha Rajinikanth's plea for discharge in a criminal case related to alleged forgery connected to the 2014 film Kochadaiiyaan. The 48th Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate ruled on September 27, 2023, that Latha, the wife of the iconic actor Rajinikanth, had failed to provide justifiable grounds for her discharge. The court further noted that there was a prima facie case to continue proceedings against her.

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The case emerged from a financial dispute over dues owed by Latha to the production company behind Kochadaiiyaan, directed by her daughter Soundarya Rajinikanth. In the midst of the dispute, Latha allegedly sought a gag order on media reporting, presenting a letter from an organization that investigators claim did not exist.

Latha used forged documents to secure an injunction

In 2015, Ad Bureau Advertising Private Limited, a Chennai-based firm, filed a complaint alleging that Latha used forged documents to secure an injunction that prevented approximately 70 media outlets from covering the financial conflict. The company argued that Latha had submitted false evidence in her civil case to avoid publicity, including a cheating complaint it had filed against her regarding the film.

While the civil suit was dismissed in 2015 due to jurisdictional issues, the complainant pursued criminal charges under sections of the Indian Penal Code related to forgery and false statements. The Halasurugate police filed a chargesheet in 2021, and despite partial quashing of proceedings by the Karnataka High Court in 2022, the Supreme Court reinstated the charges in October 2023, paving the way for further prosecution.