Joby George visa fraud case verdict: Producer sentenced to 4 years in prison; Rs 66.5 lakh fine imposed
Film producer Joby George has been sentenced to prison after being found guilty in a visa fraud case . The order was issued by the PMLA Court Kochi .
Reports from Asianet News says that the court sentenced him to a total of four years in prison and imposed a fine of Rs 66.5 lakh . The punishment relates to two separate cases in which he allegedly cheated individuals by promising opportunities in the United Kingdom.
The victims in the case were residents of Muvattupuzha and Mulanthuruthy and according to the court order, if the producer fails to pay the fine, he will have to serve an additional one year in prison.
Complaint by Rajesh Mathew
One of the cases was filed by Rajesh Mathew from Muvattupuzha and the incident dates back to 2011.
According to the complaint Joby George convinced Rajesh that he could arrange a job visa in the United Kingdom and he also promised to help him start a business there.
Trusting the assurances, Rajesh Mathew paid Rs 50 lakh in two instalments. However, the visa was never arranged and the money was also not returned.
After waiting for a long period, Rajesh approached the police and filed a complaint. During the trial the court examined the evidence and concluded that the cheating charges against Joby George were proved beyond doubt.
The court further directed that Rs 50 lakh from the fine amount should be given to Rajesh Mathew as compensation.
Second case filed by Mulanthuruthy coupleAnother complaint was filed by Biju Varghese and his wife Darly Biju from Mulanthuruthy. Reportedly according to their statement, Joby George had promised them a business partnership in the UK and a student visa. Based on these assurances, the couple travelled to the United Kingdom.
However, they later realised that they had been cheated and when they demanded the money back they alleged that Joby George threatened them.
In this case the court sentenced him to two years of imprisonment. It also ordered him to pay a fine of Rs 16.52 lakh.
Together with the punishment in the first case the court imposed a combined prison term of four years and fines totalling Rs 66.5 lakh.
Case history and court observations
The case was originally registered by the Muvattupuzha Police in August 2012 and it was later transferred to the special court for further proceedings.
Joby George’s wife was also named as an accused during the investigation. However, the court acquitted her after finding insufficient evidence against her.
After examining witness testimonies and documents the court concluded that the cheating charges against the producer were clearly established.
Recent statement on film distribution loss
In another recent news, Joby George had spoken about the financial performance of the film Jeethu Joseph's recent film 'Valathuvashathe Kallan'. The film starred Biju Menon and was directed by B. Unnikrishnan.
The discussion emerged after allegations that the actor had skipped promotional activities for the film. During an interview, Joby George admitted that the project turned out to be a loss for the banner.
As reported by Asianet News, he clarified that the banner had only handled distribution and not production. He said, “Valathuvashathe Kallan is Goodwill’s first loss-making film. But it’s not a film owned by Goodwill Entertainments. We only distributed it.”
Explaining the reason for supporting the project, he added, “Goodwill had stepped in to help someone. I’m someone who believes that we must remember the kindness shown to us in life. We must show gratitude for the food we eat.”
The film reportedly reached theatres with a total expenditure of around Rs 16 crore.
Disclaimer: This report is a journalistic account of a recent court development. While every effort has been made to ensure accuracy based on available information, this is not a substitute for the official court order or legal advice. The final ruling, which will be published by the court, is the definitive source of information. This article serves as a report on the current status of the case and should not be considered legal guidance.
Reports from Asianet News says that the court sentenced him to a total of four years in prison and imposed a fine of Rs 66.5 lakh . The punishment relates to two separate cases in which he allegedly cheated individuals by promising opportunities in the United Kingdom.
The victims in the case were residents of Muvattupuzha and Mulanthuruthy and according to the court order, if the producer fails to pay the fine, he will have to serve an additional one year in prison.
Complaint by Rajesh Mathew
One of the cases was filed by Rajesh Mathew from Muvattupuzha and the incident dates back to 2011.
According to the complaint Joby George convinced Rajesh that he could arrange a job visa in the United Kingdom and he also promised to help him start a business there.
Trusting the assurances, Rajesh Mathew paid Rs 50 lakh in two instalments. However, the visa was never arranged and the money was also not returned.
After waiting for a long period, Rajesh approached the police and filed a complaint. During the trial the court examined the evidence and concluded that the cheating charges against Joby George were proved beyond doubt.
The court further directed that Rs 50 lakh from the fine amount should be given to Rajesh Mathew as compensation.
Second case filed by Mulanthuruthy coupleAnother complaint was filed by Biju Varghese and his wife Darly Biju from Mulanthuruthy. Reportedly according to their statement, Joby George had promised them a business partnership in the UK and a student visa. Based on these assurances, the couple travelled to the United Kingdom.
However, they later realised that they had been cheated and when they demanded the money back they alleged that Joby George threatened them.
In this case the court sentenced him to two years of imprisonment. It also ordered him to pay a fine of Rs 16.52 lakh.
Together with the punishment in the first case the court imposed a combined prison term of four years and fines totalling Rs 66.5 lakh.
Case history and court observations
The case was originally registered by the Muvattupuzha Police in August 2012 and it was later transferred to the special court for further proceedings.
Joby George’s wife was also named as an accused during the investigation. However, the court acquitted her after finding insufficient evidence against her.
After examining witness testimonies and documents the court concluded that the cheating charges against the producer were clearly established.
Recent statement on film distribution loss
In another recent news, Joby George had spoken about the financial performance of the film Jeethu Joseph's recent film 'Valathuvashathe Kallan'. The film starred Biju Menon and was directed by B. Unnikrishnan.
The discussion emerged after allegations that the actor had skipped promotional activities for the film. During an interview, Joby George admitted that the project turned out to be a loss for the banner.
As reported by Asianet News, he clarified that the banner had only handled distribution and not production. He said, “Valathuvashathe Kallan is Goodwill’s first loss-making film. But it’s not a film owned by Goodwill Entertainments. We only distributed it.”
Explaining the reason for supporting the project, he added, “Goodwill had stepped in to help someone. I’m someone who believes that we must remember the kindness shown to us in life. We must show gratitude for the food we eat.”
The film reportedly reached theatres with a total expenditure of around Rs 16 crore.
Disclaimer: This report is a journalistic account of a recent court development. While every effort has been made to ensure accuracy based on available information, this is not a substitute for the official court order or legal advice. The final ruling, which will be published by the court, is the definitive source of information. This article serves as a report on the current status of the case and should not be considered legal guidance.
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