Businessman cheats Kannada actor Sanjana Galrani, court orders ₹61.4L refund
What's the story
A Bengaluru court has directed businessman Rahul Tonse, widely known as Rahul Shetty, to pay ₹61.4 lakh to Kannada actor Sanjana Galrani.
The verdict came after Tonse was convicted of cheating Galrani under the guise of a real estate investment.
The case dates back to 2018-19, when Tonse allegedly took ₹45 lakh from Galrani in installments, promising high returns by investing in Bengaluru properties.
Legal action
Galrani approached court after Tonse failed to deliver promised returns
When Tonse failed to deliver on his promise and started evading Galrani, the latter sought legal recourse.
This resulted in a cheating case being registered against Tonse and his parents by the Indiranagar Police in October 2021.
Judge PS Santosh Kumar of the 28th Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Court ordered Tonse to repay the amount with interest.
He also sentenced him to six months' simple imprisonment in case of non-payment.
Trial proceedings
Dishonored checks were issued by Tonse to Galrani
During the trial, Galrani's counsel highlighted that Tonse had issued two checks to Galrani—one for ₹30 lakh and another for ₹15 lakh.
Both checks were dishonored, with the ₹30 lakh check stopped by Tonse and the other bouncing due to insufficient funds.
Despite multiple legal notices, the businessman allegedly refused to settle the dues.
The court rejected Tonse's claim of not receiving the legal notice as he did not dispute the address or return postal cover.