Bengaluru: A case of cheating has been registered against a couple producing Kannada television serial ‘Lakshmi Nivasa’ for allegedly cheating Lokesh Productions of Rs 1 crore.The couple – Nirmala C and Sathya of Sai Nirmala Productions – have been accused by Lokesh Productions, run by veteran actor late Lokesh’s son Srujan Lokesh, of usurping his investment in their television series.According to a complaint filed at Channammanakere Achukattu police on Aug 27, Nirmala, the proprietor of Sai Nirmala Productions, received Rs 1 crore investment in ‘Lakshmi Nivasa’ after the two parties signed an MoU on Nov 23, 2023. She was supposed to pay Rs 5 lakh to the complainant every month from April 1, 2024.However, the complaint accused Nirmala of not giving any money in return for the investment made by Lokesh Productions. When asked to return the money, the accused borrowed time by citing various reasons. The accused violated the MoU conditions, according to the complaint.At the time of the MoU, Sathya also promised to return the money on time, the complaint added.Police have registered a case under the Indian Penal Code (IPC) sections 406 (criminal breach of trust), 417 (cheating), 418 (cheating with knowledge that wrongful loss may ensue to a person whose interest the offender is bound to protect), and 420 (cheating and dishonestly inducing delivery of property).A senior officer said the accused couple have gone incommunicado, and they are making efforts to trace them.
