On Friday, the Supreme Court ordered the transfer of the trial against choreographer-turned-director Remo D’Souza from Ghaziabad to Delhi’s Karkardooma court. The decision came after hearing D’Souza’s plea, challenging the rejection of his petition by the Allahabad High Court.
The case dates back to 2016, when an FIR was filed against D’Souza under sections 420 (cheating), 406 (criminal breach of trust), and 386 (extortion by putting a person in fear of death or grievous hurt) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). The complainant accused D’Souza of encouraging him to finance a movie, promising to double the amount invested. However, the director allegedly failed to honor his promise, leading to the legal dispute.
D’Souza’s legal team argued that the case was originally a civil matter concerning a breach of agreement, but it had been wrongly converted into a criminal one. They further submitted that the trial should be moved to Delhi for convenience.
The Supreme Court, agreeing with the request, said that transferring the trial to Delhi would be beneficial and stated that there was no reason to delay the trial proceedings. The case will now be handled in Delhi’s Karkardooma court.
The decision is seen as a significant step in ensuring the trial moves forward expeditiously.