Supreme Court Grants Interim Relief to Shreyas Talpade and Alok Nath in Cheating Case

The Supreme Court granted interim relief to actors Shreyas Talpade and Alok Nath, barring their arrest in a cheating and breach of trust case. The actors sought merging of FIRs across states. The FIR, filed by Sonipat resident Vipul Antil, alleges they promoted a society accused of defrauding the public.Bollywood actorsShreyas TalpadeandAlok Nathhave been granted temporary relief by the Supreme Court, which has prohibited their arrest until the probe into a cheating and breach of trust case involving a society is completed.Defence statements before the courtAppearing before a bench of Justices B.V.Nagarathnaand R. Mahadevan, Shreyas’s lawyer clarified that the actor had merely attended the company’s annual function as an invited celebrity guest. In a conversation with PTI, the counsel added, "I am not supposed to know. I never earned any money". Nath's lawyer submitted that the actor has not attended any function and his photo has been used 10 years.Shreyas Talpade & Alok Nath Booked In Rs 5 Crore Investment Scam With 22 OthersCourt’s observation on celebrity endorsementsAccording to The Hindu, the bench said, “If a top actor or a cricketer is giving his advertisement or appearing as a brand ambassador for corporate company which goes into liquidation or there are criminal cases against the company will it also go against the cricketer or actor? We dispose of this writ petition [filed by Talpade] by continuing the interim order of protection from arrest granted by us until the investigation into the offences against the petitioner is complete”.Petitions seeking merger of FIRsOn Monday, the Supreme Court took up the petitions of Shreyas and Alok, who sought to have multiple FIRs filed in different states combined into a single case. The complaint, submitted by 37-year-old Vipul Antil from Sonipat, lists thirteen accused, including the two actors. Antil alleged that both the actors “promoted the Human Welfare Credit Cooperative Society Ltd, as brand ambassadors”.Details of FIR and allegationsAccording to the FIR lodged on January 22, offences were registered under Sections 316(2), 318(2), and 318(4) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, citing allegations of cheating and criminal breach of trust. The police claimed that the society had committed a “serious crime of cheating the public through financial schemes”.Get an chance to win ₹5000 Amazon Voucher by taking part in India's Biggest Habit Index! Take the survey here