Earlier, a single judge had dismissed the financier’s plea in 2018 after imposing a cost of Rs 25,000. When the appeal moved by the financier’s son Kagan Bothra came up before a division bench comprising Justice N Kirubakaran and Justice PD Audikesavalau, the producer’s advocate submitted that though the money was returned, Bothra refused to part with the blank paper with his signature.

Later, he used it make the bogus claim for Rs 65 lakh and wrote in the paper that if he failed to return the money, his son Dhanush’s father-in-law Rajinikanth would return it, the producer alleged, adding that this caused bad blood in the family.

During the previous hearing, the bench had wondered how Rajinikanth could be linked to a loan obtained by his in-law and also asked why Kasturi Raja had sought a loan for Rs 10 lakh when his sons – actor Dhanush and noted director Selvaraghavan – were earning in crores.

To this, the counsel submitted that hard cash was tough to obtain, forcing them to seek such loans.

Following this, the bench asked the financier’s son how the Rs 65 lakh was given to the producer. When informed that it was given in cash, the bench wondered as to how such a big amount was given like that when transactions in cash was allowed only to the extent of Rs 20,000.

When Bothra claimed that his business revolved around providing instant cash as sought by those in the film industry, the bench sought the financier to submit his income tax returns filed during the year he had lent the Rs 65 lakh, and posted the case to further hearing to March 4.