Latha Rajinikanth, wife of renowned actor Rajinikanth, has been conditionally granted bail by a Bengaluru court. For almost a decade, she had been entangled in a forgery case related to Rajinikanth's film Kochadaiiyaan. Addressing the media, she refuted all accusations made against her, emphasizing that she was paying a price for being ‘famous’.
Directed by her younger daughter Soundarya, Kochadaiiyaan was a 3D animated action film, set during a historical period. The film, at the time of release, had received a lukewarm response from both the audience and the media. It was a highly mounted project but the criticism was largely directed towards how both Rajinikanth and lead actress Deepika Padukone were digitised in a very comical manner.
A case was filed against Latha by an advertising bureau based in Chennai, where she was accused of granting a loan of ₹10 crore to somebody named Murali of Media One, which carried Latha's signature. Pleading innocence before the court, Latha said that she had no involvement in the concerned matter. Speaking to the media, Latha clarifies, "During 'Kochadaiiyaan' time, Media One's Jayakumar and Murali borrowed money for which I was the guarantor. Once they settled, I was happy. There was no connection with after the settlement."
Latha also alleged the prosecution were doctoring new charges without any basis. "They seem to have altered the agreement and are coming up with new allegations. The Supreme Court said that I need not appear for this case. I must thank them. But, they submitted a letter to a Karnataka court. This family has been humiliating me and harassing me for many years. We proved that the handwriting in the letter is not mine through the forensic report. We took all efforts to prove that I have no connection. Since we are celebrities, they kept humiliating us. Case went back to Karnataka, and we were asked to file a discharge petition, which we had done. Respecting the court's order, I appeared at the Bengaluru court to explain my side. I hope truth prevails."
Post the verdict, Latha was asked to sign off a bond worth ₹ 1 lakh and additionally submit ₹ 25,000 in cash.
Another hearing on the case is scheduled for January 6, 2024.
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