BOMBAY, 11 March 2004 — Indian actress Aishwarya Rai is involved in a real-life drama and she and her family are framed in a court scene. And the trial involves money.
The case against the Rais is that of fraud, and filed by a real estate agent who says that the actress’ family did not pay brokerage after acquiring a flat in this metropolis.
According to the Indian news agency Press Trust of India, the sessions court on Tuesday extended till March 22 its stay on a magistrate’s order issuing summons to the Bollywood actress Rai and her family members to appear in a cheating case.
The agent Krishnakumar Shetty filed charges for non-payment of brokerage at the rate of two percent of the flat’s value, which amounts to Rs. 375,000 toward purchase of a property.
Brokerage is paid for services rendered in finding and acquiring property or flats or a flat fee is agreed between the two parties involved in the deal.
The flat in the La Mer building was jointly purchased by Aishwarya Rai, her father Krishnaraj, mother Brinda and brother Aditya for Rs 17.5 million.
The stay was extended by Judge Hemant Deshpande, who had decided to hear on March 22 the Rais’ plea to dismiss the cheating case. The Rais had moved the sessions court after an earlier summons from a magistrate.
Magistrate S. Y. Shishode had earlier issued summons on Jan. 10 asking Aishwarya, her brother and parents to appear before him on Feb. 27.
Rai’s lawyer Girish Kulkarni contended that the offense was not made out against the actress and her family members.
But, according to Kulkarni, there was no agreement signed between them and the real estate agent. Aishwarya is a former Miss World and is currently the leading actress in the film world, popularly known as Bollywood. She is reportedly one of the top earners among the actresses in Bollywood.
