A week after joining the YSRCP in Hyderabad, actor-producer Mohan Babu has been found guilty in a cheque bounce case of 2010. Delivering the verdict on Tuesday morning, the Errum Manzil 23rd court judge V Raghunadha Rao awarded Mohan Babu one-year imprisonment and directed him to pay Rs 41.75 lakh towards the defaulted amount. The actor, however, has got bail.
A case was filed against Mohan Babu in 2010 by the famous director YVS Chowdhary. According to the counsel representing the director, Mohan Babu in 2009 had issued a cheque to Chowdhary amounting to Rs 41.75 lakh, for working in the film Saleem that released in the same year. But the cheque bounced in the bank due to insufficient money. Mohan Babu again promised the director to pay the sum, but since the producer did not keep his word even after a year, Chowdhary sought legal remedy.
However, in a cryptic message, Mohan Babu tweeted saying he is still in his house in Hyderabad, and dismissed the news as false allegations propagated by media outlets
Just heard about the false news propaganda by a few TV networks. Much to their disappointment, I am at my home in Hyderabad.
— Mohan Babu M (@themohanbabu) April 2, 2019
Mohan Babu also issued a press release on Tuesday afternoon, clarifying that he wouldn't be serving the jail term and would instead be appealing to the sessions court for a favourable order. The actor-producer further claimed that in 2009, he had paid Chowdhary for his work in Saleem and that he had signed a deal for another movie for which he had issued a cheque of Rs 41.75 lakh. But Saleem turned out to be a box-office dud and Mohan Babu asked Chowdhary not to encash the cheque as he had made up his mind not to do another movie with the director. But Chowdhary allegedly went ahead with encashing the cheque and it bounced in the bank.
"However Chowdhary has managed to get an order in his favour and we will be appealing to the sessions court to bring out the truth," Mohan Babu wrote in his statement.
Clarification of Cheque bounce issue by Dr.M Mohan Babu garu @themohanbabu @iVishnuManchu @HeroManoj1 pic.twitter.com/jPFlrqb2KN
— Vamsi Shekar (@UrsVamsiShekar) April 2, 2019
It was on March 26 that YSRCP chief Jagan Mohan Reddy welcomed Mohan Babu to his party in Hyderabad. Claiming that YSRCP would sweep the polls in the upcoming assembly polls, Mohan Babu exuded confidence on Jagan becoming the next Chief Minister of the state.
“All parties invited me, whether it is the TDP, YSRCP or the BJP. It is my wish to join any party at any time. That is the nature of democracy. I will campaign for the YSRCP and follow whatever plans the party has for me,” the producer said while joining the party.
An actor-producer who starred in more than 500 films, a noted educationalist and a Padma Shri recipient, Mohan Babu enjoys massive support across the state, especially in the Rayalaseema region and Chittoor district, where he hails from and has also established his Sri Vidyanikethan Educational Trust.
Mohan Babu had recently made news after he carried out a protest against the Chandrababu Naidu government in Andhra Pradesh for failing to implement a fee reimbursement scheme. Stating that Sri Vidyanikethan institutions had been providing free education to 25% of the students for the past 26 years, Mohan Babu said that their colleges were suffering due to the non-payment of the reimbursement amount.