The Mumbai Police have filed a closure report before the Bandra Magistrate court in connection with filmmaker Vashu Bhagnani’s FIR against director Ali Abbas Zafar, executive producer Himanshu Mehra and financial officer Ekesh Ranadive. According to the report, the complaint was filed under a “misconception that there was a fraud.” The police recently submitted a ‘C’ Summary report, seeking closure of the case.
What the ‘C’ Summary Means
A ‘C’ Summary report is filed when, after investigation, a case is found to be neither entirely true nor entirely false, but based on a mistake of fact or a dispute of a civil nature. It indicates that while the complaint may not be malicious, the available evidence is insufficient to proceed with criminal prosecution. The police have requested the Bandra court to classify the matter as “neither true nor false.”
Background of the Dispute Between Vashu Bhagnani and Ali Abbas Zafar
The dispute stems from the 2024 film Bade Miyan Chote Miyan, co-produced by Bhagnani and directed by Zafar. In 2024, Bhagnani approached the Bandra court with allegations of cheating, criminal breach of trust, forgery and defamation related to the film’s production. The court subsequently directed local police to register an FIR.
Bhagnani had alleged that his company spent approximately Rs 230 crore on the production of the film, which starred Akshay Kumar, and claimed that he did not receive detailed analytical information regarding the expenditure. He further alleged that bills were inflated and that the production had exceeded its budget.
According to the police report, Bhagnani claimed a fraud of Rs 9 crore but did not provide specific details on how the alleged fraud was committed. The closure report states that no evidence of fake documentation, inflated payments, or fraudulent transactions was found during the investigation. It further notes that no material was produced to establish how the alleged amount was misappropriated or which vendors or transactions were in question.
Protest Petition Filed
Bhagnani has filed a protest petition against the closure report, challenging the police findings before the Bandra Magistrate court. The court will now decide whether to accept the closure report or direct further proceedings.
Meanwhile, advocates Jay K Bhardwaj, Pratibha Rawat and Harsh Ramchandani, representing Zafar and Mehra, issued a joint statement saying, “The investigative agency, after completion of the investigation, did not find any criminality in the allegations levelled in the FIR. Our clients, while reposing complete trust in the investigative and judicial process fully cooperated in the investigation at every level. At the same time, during the entire investigative process, no statements were issued by our clients and the closure report is comprehensive and covers all tenets.”
The matter is now pending before the Bandra court, which will examine the closure report and the protest petition before passing further orders.
Also Read: Ali Abbas Zafar files complaint against Vashu Bhagnani over non-payment of Rs 7.30 crores fee for Bade Miyan Chote Miyan: Report
