Jamtara producer Manish Trehan accused of cheating businessman for Rs 2.5 crore: Report
Manish Trehan, the producer of the popular Netflix web series Jamtara, has been booked by the Mumbai Police for allegedly defrauding a businessman, Nihar L, of Rs 2.5 crores. The allegations suggest that Trehan misled Nihar under the pretext of financing a film project and expanding his business.
Details of the Allegations
According to a report by Indian Express, Nihar, a 40-year-old businessman running a finance service firm, met Trehan in October 2022 through a mutual contact. Trehan, who introduced himself as the director of Click On RM Pvt Ltd, assured Nihar that he would return the money within a year, along with interest. Trusting Trehan’s assurances, Nihar transferred Rs 2 crores to him for business expansion via an online transaction.
As the one-year term concluded in October 2023, Trehan visited Nihar’s office, accompanied by a man named Satvant Singh, whom he introduced as a senior official from a well-known OTT platform. Upon asking for repayment, Trehan claimed that the invested money had gone into a film that was nearly complete, requiring only editing work. He then requested an additional Rs 50 lakh to cover final costs, assuring Nihar that the film would soon be sold to the OTT platform, allowing for the return of the money.
Trusting Trehan yet again, Nihar transferred an additional Rs 50 lakh on October 5, 2023. Trehan subsequently provided a written loan agreement acknowledging the total Rs 2.5 crores loan and issued four post-dated cheques to be cashed by March 31, 2024.
Fraudulent Activity Uncovered
However, when Nihar attempted to deposit the cheques, he discovered they had been declined due to a stop payment order placed by Trehan. After multiple unsuccessful attempts to contact Trehan, who allegedly blocked Nihar’s calls, the businessman approached senior police officials to register a complaint.
The Santacruz police have now booked Trehan and Singh under various sections of the Indian Penal Code, including 420 (cheating), 406 (criminal breach of trust), and 34 (common intention). Furthermore, Nihar accused Trehan’s wife of involvement, though her name does not appear in the FIR.
Response from Trehan’s Legal Team
In response to the allegations, Trehan’s lawyer, Shivam Deshmukh, stated that Trehan had already repaid part of the loan amount. He claimed that Nihar and his father had coerced Trehan into making an immediate cash payment of Rs 1.6 crore. Deshmukh emphasized that Trehan has been cooperative with authorities and alleged that the FIR was filed to meet Nihar’s unlawful demands.
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