Actor-turned-politician Jaya Prada has been found guilty in connection with an old case by a court in Chennai on Friday, 11 August. According to reports, Jaya has been sentenced to six months in jail and has been imposed a fine of Rs 5,000.
Jaya, who owned a theatre in Chennai, was earlier accused by the theatre workers of not repaying their (Employee State Insurance) ESI money. Jaya's business partners, Raja Babu and Ram Kumar, were reportedly found guilty in the case as well.
As per reports, after Jaya's Chennai theatre shut down, the workers filed a complaint against her regarding the repayment of their ESI money, which had already been deducted from their salaries.
The workers had alleged that the ESI money was not paid to the Government Insurance Corporation. Following the complaint, the Labour Government Insurance Corporation reportedly filed a case against the politician and her partners at the Egmore Magistrate Court in Chennai.
According to reports, Jaya had admitted to the charges levelled against her and had promised to clear her dues while also seeking a dismissal of the case. However, her appeal was refused by the court, and instead, she was imposed with six months imprisonment and a fine.
At the peak of her career, Jaya left the Indian film industry and entered politics in 1994 by joining the Telugu Desam Party (TDP). The former actor was first elected to the Rajya Sabha and then became a Lok Sabha member.
In 2019, she joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
(At The Quint, we are answerable only to our audience. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member. Because the truth is worth it.)