(MENAFN- AsiaNet News) Veteran Kannada actress K. Padmaja Rao has been sentenced to three months in jail by the Mangalore Court in connection with a check bounce case involving Rs 40.20 lakhs. The court has also given her the option to avoid jail time by paying the amount due.

Padmaja Rao, who is currently portraying the role of Kusuma in the popular TV serial "Bhagyalakshmi," found herself in legal trouble after being accused of fraud by Tulu and Kannada film director and actor Virendra Shetty. The case revolves around a Rs 40 lakh loan taken by Padmaja Rao from Veeru Talkies, a production company owned by Virendra Shetty. When pressured to return the borrowed amount, Padmaja issued a cheque that later bounced due to insufficient funds in her account.
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Virendra Shetty filed a case against Padmaja Rao in the JMFC 8th Court of Mangaluru. Despite multiple summons, Padmaja Rao failed to appear in court, prompting the issuance of a non-bailable warrant for her arrest. The Thalaghattapura police in Bengaluru were ordered to arrest her. However, Padmaja Rao surrendered to the Mangaluru court before the police could act and secured bail.

After a legal battle that lasted four years, the court has now found Padmaja Rao guilty. She has been ordered to pay Rs 40,17,000 to Virendra Shetty and an additional Rs 3,000 as compensation to the government. If she fails to make these payments, she will face three months of imprisonment.

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