Vikram Bhatt files lawsuit against former partners for cheating, defamation, criminal breach of trust

Written By DNA Web Team | Updated: May 24, 2023, 11:41 PM IST

Vikram Bhatt filed a complaint against former partners for 'plotting and conspiring with each other and for committing serious cognizable and non-bailable offenses of cheating criminal misappropriation of funds, criminal breach of trust, forgery, and defamation.'

Filmmaker Vikram Bhatt has filed a lawsuit against K Sera Sera Production Chairman Satish Panchariya and former employee Amar Thakkar for alleged defrauding, forgery, and slander.

The complaint, filed by him through his legal counsel, Advocate Rizwan Siddiquee, emphasises the "serious nature" of the accused's offence. Advocate Rizwan Siddiquee stated, "It is absolutely true that my client has filed a criminal complaint before the Amboli Police station against (1) Mr. Satish Ramswroop Panchariya (2) Ms. Karishma Bhupendra Rattanshi (3) Mr. Vikrant Parvez Anand and (4) Mr. Amar Thakkar, for plotting and conspiring with each other and for committing serious cognizable and non-bailable offenses of cheating criminal misappropriation of funds, criminal breach of trust, forgery, and defamation. The criminal complaint made before the Police by my client is serious because it also covers the part where the accused persons used a forged and fabricated document to mislead the Learned Magistrate at Andheri Court and obtain a favourable Order under Section 156(3) CrPC."

Also, from the complaint, it appears that the accused persons had malafidely and mischievously concealed the fact from the Learned Magistrate that they had replaced the original untenable complaint dated 22.11.2022 with another new complaint dated 17.03.2023 after forging a document to strengthen their baseless complaint. The matter needs to be investigated in detail so
that the truth can be brought out."

"As my client had to bear the brunt of these unwarranted actions, therefore he will not only be filing a quashing application before the Hon'ble High Court, but also he shall simultaneously be filing various other civil and criminal proceedings including, and not limited to, a private criminal defamation case before the Andheri Metropolitan Magistrate," he added. 

In a criminal complaint lodged with the Amboli Police Station, Bhatt accuses Satish Ramswroop Panchariya, Karishma Bhupendra Rattanshi, Vikrant Parvez Anand, and Amar Thakkar of plotting and conspiring to commit various criminal acts, including cheating, criminal misappropriation of funds, criminal breach of trust, forgery, and defamation. The complaint sheds
light on the accused's misuse of a forged and fabricated document, misleading the Learned Magistrate at Andheri Court and obtaining a favorable order under Section 156(3) of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC). Advocate Rizwan Siddiquee emphasised the importance of conducting a thorough investigation to unearth the truth.

According to the complaint, the accused purposefully hid the fact that they had replaced the initial complaint dated 22.17.2022 with a new complaint dated 17.03.2023 after forging a document to support their spurious charges. He announced that the ace filmmaker will file a quashing application before the Hon'ble High Court, as well as many other civil and criminal processes, along with several other civil and criminal proceedings, including a private criminal defamation case before the Andheri Metropolitan Magistrate.