Chennai court passes vertict ordering Boney Kapoor to return financer's money

Boney Kapoor's Salman Khan starrer Wanted won't release on September 18 until the maker coughs up Rs 9 crores in a Chennai court. Kapoor had taken the sum from film financer Sushil Gupta in Mumbai back in 2006 for the same project. Kapoor was unable to pay Gupta back and so, took him to court. The judgment was passed yesterday.

According to the judgment, Kapoor has to pay up 9 crores before the release date of his film or the ban will not be lifted. The judge instructed Kapoor and his lawyers to deposit Rs 3.6 crores in a bank and the rest in cheques with a guarantee from the bank. Kapoor is in a fix and will have to come up with the money pronto.

Says Sushil Gupta, "Boney tried to make a fool of me in the courts. I am very happy with the judgment passed. When I loaned him the money in '06 I took three post-dated cheques from him, a normal procedure followed by financers in the industry.

But in the courtroom, his whole defense was based on how I forged his wife Sridevi's signature on the cheques. I just want to know why I'd not accept cheques signed by him and why, on those supposedly blank cheques, I'd give him the money!"

Gupta continues, "I had a lot of respect for Boney and his wife and have lent him money in the past as well. Though there were problems in the past in recovering dues, we have always cut him slack. Let me tell you that dragging him to court was not for the money but for respect. I took his cheques in good faith."