After evading the arrest for two months, the Goregaon police have arrested a film producer and scriptwriter for allegedly defrauding a businessman of Rs40 lakh. The producer had taken the money to fund the production of a television serial, which was set to air on Doordarshan. The arrest took place last week, and the court has since remanded the producer to judicial custody.
According to a source, Sameer Singh, a resident of Jogeshwari, runs a real estate business. In addition to this, he is also an investor, producer, and actor in the film industry. He has financed several serials, web series, and movies.
In March 2023, one of his friends introduced him to Pandey, who wanted to launch a serial ‘Jai Bharti’ on Doordarshan. Pandey had an agreement with the channel but due to financial constraints, the series could not be started. Pandey then requested Sameer Singh to help finance the serial. After reviewing Pandey’s contract with Prasar Bharati, Singh agreed to finance the serial.
An agreement was made between them, stating that the investment amount of Rs80,000 per month, with interest, would be repaid within eight months. Following the agreement, Singh paid Pandey Rs40 lakh in various instalments. As per the agreement, Pandey paid Rs4 lakh in interest for five months but later stopped making payments. Despite several reminders, Pandey tried to avoid repaying the amount. It was later discovered that he had not started the series and had misappropriated the money for personal use.
The police are investigating whether he has defrauded others under the pretence of producing the serial. The produced is charged under sections 406 (breach of trust) and 420 (cheating and dishonesty) of the Indian Penal Code.
