Mumbai court upholds Sunny Leone discharge in cheating case

A Mumbai sessions court has upheld the dismissal of a cheating complaint against Bollywood actor Sunny Leone and her husband Daniel Weber, ruling the dispute was a breach of commercial contract, not a criminal offence. Additional Sessions Judge P A Sane of the Dindoshi court dismissed a criminal revision application by complainant Omprakash Shreenarayan Lal Jain, who accused the couple and their manager of cheating him over a Telugu film deal.

Jain claimed he had facilitated Leone's role in the film and was owed a percentage-based incentive from a Rs 1.75 crore consideration. He alleged partial payments were made but the outstanding sum and his commission remained unpaid. He had challenged an October 10, 2024 magistrate order rejecting his complaint under IPC sections 406 (criminal breach of trust), 420 (cheating) and 506(II) (criminal intimidation).

The sessions court noted that documents including tax invoices and settlement communications showed the dispute was purely commercial. The court said there was no evidence to establish criminal intent, and found no illegality in the magistrate's order. Jain's revision application was dismissed.