[BREAKING] Kerala High Court stays criminal proceedings against Sunny Leone in cheating case

The Kerala High Court on Wednesday stayed the criminal proceedings against actress Sunny Leone (Karanjit Kaur Vohra), her husband Daniel Weber, and an employee of hers, in a cheating case registered against them [Karanjit Kaur Vohra & Ors. v State of Kerala & Anr.]..Justice Ziyad Rahman AA passed the order on a plea by Leone seeking quashing of the case against them.The Court staying the criminal proceedings until the next hearing date of the plea. .Leone, her husband, and her employee, are accused in a crime registered based on a complaint moved by a Kerala based event manager.The complainant had alleged that despite paying Leone lakhs of rupees to appear and perform in events, the actress did not show up.Subsequently, a case was registered against them alleging commission of offences punishable under Sections 406 (criminal breach of trust), 420 (cheating and dishonesty inducing delivery of property) and 34 (acts done by several persons in furtherance of common intention) of the Indian Penal Code.The trio then moved the High Court by way of the present petition claiming they are innocent and that even if the allegations are taken at face value, the offences alleged would not be attracted.The complainant has not faced any losses due to the petitioners but the petitioners' lives are being adversely affected by the case, the plea said.The plea also pointed out that the complainant had also moved a civil suit with the same allegations which was dismissed by a Magistrate Court in July 2022 for want of evidence.Therefore, they sought quashing of the proceedings against them..The petitioners were represented by Senior Advocate P Vijayabhanu and advocates R Sanjith, CS Sindhu Krishnah, Suraj Krishnan, and Sidhi K Kutty.