Bail Denied in ₹3.92 Crore Naagzilla Fund Case
A Mumbai court has denied anticipatory bail to three executives accused of siphoning ₹3.92 crore during the making of Kartik Aaryan's Naagzilla.
A Mumbai sessions court has denied anticipatory bail to three production executives in the alleged misappropriation of more than ₹3.92 crore from the budget of Naagzilla, the upcoming Dharma Productions film starring Kartik Aaryan.
Additional Sessions Judge M Mohiuddin at Dindoshi court said on Wednesday that there was prima facie material against the accused and that custodial interrogation was necessary for a detailed investigation, news agency PTI reported.
Who is accused
The three named in the case are consultant and signing authority Kuldeep Singh Champawat (47), service provider and executive producer Mahipal Karan Rathore (42), and line producer Shivkumar Tiwari (45). The FIR was lodged by Tukaram Mahadev Sawant, an accountant with Mahaveer Jain Films, which is producing the film with Dharma Productions.
What the complaint alleges
The prosecution says the three bypassed the film’s Standard Operating Procedure and spent without proper paperwork. The key allegations include:
- Unaccounted expenditure of ₹3,92,76,308 without requisite bills or vouchers.
- A vendor bill allegedly inflated from ₹85,000 to ₹1.30 lakh.
- Payment of ₹45,000 to ANM Global for services that were never rendered.
- Fabricated bills worth over ₹1.50 lakh cleared with a production assistant, along with commissions and mobile handsets taken from vendors.
Anticipatory bail is pre-arrest protection someone asks a court for when they expect to be arrested. Here, the court refused it, which means the three can be questioned in custody while the police trace the financial trail.
Why this matters for Naagzilla
The project was set up on a reported ₹82.50 crore budget under an agreement between Mahaveer Jain Films and Dharma Productions dated October 30 last year. It is directed by Mrighdeep Singh Lamba and written by Gautam Mehra, and Kartik plays an icchadhari naag, or shapeshifting snake.
For audiences, the legal case does not signal a delay: Naagzilla is still slated to hit theatres next year. But it puts a spotlight on how film budgets are managed at the production stage, where dozens of vendors handle vehicles, makeup and junior artistes. When one approval link is weak, costs can add up quickly.
Much of the fan attention will stay on the eventual trailer and release date. But behind the screen, the case is a reminder that a blockbuster budget is only as strong as its internal controls. Any producer signing off a ₹82.50 crore film will now be watching how vendor verification is handled.
Source: Hindustan Times
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