Mumbai Court Denies Bail to Three Production Executives Over Alleged Fraud on Kartik Aaryan Movie Naagzilla

A Mumbai sessions court has rejected the anticipatory bail pleas of three production executives accused of misusing more than Rs. 3.92 crores during the making of the upcoming film Naagzilla. Additional Sessions Judge M Mohiuddin of the Dindoshi court stated that questioning in custody is needed to properly probe the financial irregularities. The makers of the movie, starring Kartik Aaryan, took legal action after a complaint by Tukaram Mahadev Sawant, an accountant at Mahaveer Jain Films Pvt. Ltd.

The Accused and Allegations

The three accused individuals are 47-year-old Kuldeep Singh Champawat, who worked as a consultant and signing authority; 42-year-old Mahipal Karan Rathore, a service provider and executive producer; and 45-year-old Shivkumar Tiwari, who served as the line producer. Mahaveer Jain Films had signed an agreement with Dharma Productions on October 30 of last year to produce the movie. Champawat was brought on to handle production, and he recommended Rathore while Tiwari was hired to appoint vendors for vehicles, makeup, and junior artistes. The prosecution claims the three bypassed company rules to spend Rs. 3,92,76,308 without proper bills or documents, and also used inflated bills, fake invoices, and demanded commissions and costly items from vendors.

Context

Financial disputes and legal troubles during large-scale movie productions occasionally arise when multiple production houses and external vendors are involved in managing heavy budgets. The film Naagzilla: Naag Lok Ka Pehla Kaand is a fantasy-adventure comedy directed by Mrighdeep Singh Lamba and is scheduled for a theatrical release on February 12, 2027.