Actor Sunny Leone cleared in Rs 70L commission dispute case

MUMBAI: A sessions court has dismissed a criminal revision plea against actor Sunny Leone (Karenjit Kaur Vohra), her husband Daniel Weber and their manager Sunny Rajani in a dispute over alleged unpaid commission of more than Rs 70 lakh for a Telugu film, holding that a commercial breach cannot be treated as a criminal offence unless fraudulent or dishonest intention exists from the outset.Complainant Omprakash Jain had approached the sessions court after a magistrate's court dismissed his private complaint in 2024. He had alleged cheating, criminal breach of trust and criminal intimidation, claiming Sunny Leone was given a role in the film through his efforts. Jain said there was an understanding that the accused would pay him a 10% incentive from the Rs 1.75 crore consideration connected with the engagement, but he received only part payment.According to the complaint, after Sunny Leone received Rs 35 lakh, Jain was paid Rs 1.75 lakh on Nov 26, 2000. He further claimed Rs 3.5 lakh was paid on July 20, 2022, but the balance amount of Rs 70 lakh and the corresponding 10% incentive were withheld.The record showed Jain had earlier sought an inquiry through the magistrate's court. On Dec 6, 2023, the magistrate refused to order a police investigation and directed him to proceed with verification under Section 200 of the Code of Criminal Procedure. In revision, Jain argued that the magistrate had failed to apply proper mind, wrongly treated the matter as civil, and rejected the complaint despite material allegedly showing cheating, fraud and breach of trust.Weber, Leone and Rajani, through advocate Rajkumar Mishra, opposed the plea, saying the complaint did not disclose the ingredients of offence.Additional Sessions Judge P A Sane noted that the documents included a tax invoice, two Form 16-A copies and a full-and-final settlement document in Jain's favour. The court said these reflected a commercial transaction. Even if non-payment was accepted, it said, that alone did not establish cheating or breach of trust.You Can Also Check: Gold Rate in Mumbai | Silver Rate in Mumbai | Bank Holidays in Mumbai | Public Holidays in Mumbai | Mumbai AQI | Weather in Mumbai | Petrol Price in Mumbai | Diesel Price in Mumbai | CNG Price in Mumbai | LPG Price in MumbaiStay updated with the latest Mumbai news. Download the TOI App.