Koena Mitra facing six months in jail in cheque-bouncing case | Bollywood Life

Musafir actress Koena Mitra has been convicted by a metropolitan magistrate’s court in a case of cheque bouncing and is facing a jail term of six months. Following a complaint by model Poonam Sethi, Koena has been asked to pay Rs 4.64 lakh, which also includes an interest of Rs 1.64 lakh.

The case dates back to 2013 when a cheque bounced after ‘want of funds’. Koena has reportedly denied the allegations and will file an appeal in a higher court. According to a Mumbai Mirror report, Koena had borrowed Rs 22 lakh in the form of a loan from Poonam, however during repayment, Koena’s cheque of Rs 3 lakh bounced. Following which Sethi filed a case against Koena. During the hearing, Koena alleged that Poonam didn’t have the financial capacity to lend Rs 22 lakh and that the latter had actually stolen her cheques. However, the Andheri Metropolitan Court Magistrate Ketaki Chavan turned down the arguments giving legal reasons for the same.

The report quoted the court order which stated, “Furthermore, in the present matter, said cheque is not dishonoured on the count of ‘payment stopped by drawer’. It is dishonoured on the count of ‘funds insufficient’. If at all, it is presumed that complainant took the cheques from the accused’s house, which was blank and misused them, then the option of stopping the payment was very well available with the accused. But she did not do anything like this. Thus, the conduct of accused prior and subsequent to the dishonoured of said cheque constrained me to hold that this defence is afterthought and taken only to evade the liability.”

Koena Mitra in her defence was quote in the report as saying, “The case is totally false and I have been framed in the matter. During the final argument, my lawyer could not be present in the court and hence my side was not heard and the order was passed without my hearing. We will be challenging the judgement in the higher court and my lawyers are in the process of appealing.”

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