Court relief for Rahul Raj Singh in cheating case

The Bombay high court on Tuesday gave interim protection from arrest to television producer and deceased television actress Pratyusha Banerjee’s boyfriend, Rahul Raj Singh, in a cheating case filed by an actress, Heer Patel.

After rejecting an ABA from a sessions court, Rahul had filed an anticipatory bail application in the Bombay high court. He was seeking protection from arrest in a cheating case filed by Ms Patel, who has accused him of duping her of Rs 25 lakh.

Rahul’s advocate, Abad Phonda, argued that this incident had taken place in 2010, while the FIR was being registered as late as 2016. He said that the victim had registered the case against the accused six years after the incident, and therefore custodial interrogation was not necessary.

Additional public prosecutor Aruna Kamath Pai told the court that a special public prosecutor is going to be appointed in the case and that person would argue the matter.

“The investigating officer has assured that Rahul will not be arrested till this matter is heard and decided,” Ms Pai told the court. Following this, Justice Deshmukh posted the bail plea for hearing on August 9.

According to Ms Patel’s FIR, Rahul had narrated a movie script to her in 2010 and asked her to arrange for Rs 25 lakh. He had allegedly promised to cast Ms Patel as the lead actress in the movie and had also agreed to show her father’s name as the co-producer of the movie.

Ms Patel had handed over the money to Rahul but he never made the movie and also failed to return her money, she has alleged.

Rahul approached the HC after the sessions court rejected his anticipatory bail plea. Recently, he had been charged with abetting Pratyusha’s suicide.