Calcutta High Court rejects criminal case against Zareen Khan
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The Calcutta High Court has rejected the criminal case against Bollywood actress Zareen Khan from 2018.
The case, filed by Phoenix Talent Management claimed Khan breached her contractual obligation after receiving a payment of INR12 lakh, leading to a reported loss of INR42 crores for the agency.
In 2023, a charge sheet was submitted, and the matter was being tried in a trial court in Sealdah. The complaint accused Khan and her colleagues of conspiracy, criminal breach of trust, defrauding, and making threats under Sections 406, 420, 506, and 120B of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).
In her defense, Khan argued that the matter was contractual and should not fall under criminal proceedings. Justice Bibhas Ranjan De agreed, stating, “The criminal courts are not meant to be used for settling scores or pressurizing parties to resolve civil disputes.”
The judge further noted that a civil suit regarding the same issue was already pending before a Mumbai court.
The High Court emphasized that the dispute did not warrant criminal action and allowed Zareen Khan’s plea to quash the case.
Senior Advocate Ayan Bhattacherjee, along with advocates Priyanka Agarwal and Priyanka Sarkar, represented Zareen Khan, while Senior Advocate Sourav Chatterjee and his team appeared for the complainant.
The verdict brings an end to the five-year-long criminal proceedings against the actress, although the civil case remains unresolved.