The Bombay High Court has granted interim protection from arrest to Kuldeep Singh Champawat, a consultant associated with the Kartik Aaryan-starrer Naagzilla, in connection with alleged financial irregularities amounting to ₹3.92 crore. The case stems from alleged violations of a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) established between production houses Dharma Productions Private Limited and Mahaveer Jain Films Private Limited.
Justice Prafulla S. Khubalkar issued the order while hearing Champawat’s anticipatory bail application. The matter originates from a First Information Report (FIR) registered at Mumbai’s D.N. Nagar Police Station on September 26, 2026. According to the complaint, payments totaling ₹3,92,76,308 were allegedly disbursed without adhering to the financial verification procedures mandated by the SOP signed between the two co-producers.
Appearing for Champawat, advocate Niteen Pradhan argued that his client served strictly in an advisory capacity as a consultant and possessed no administrative authority to authorize, sanction, or release funds. Pradhan submitted that all financial transactions were managed directly by chartered accountants and that Champawat was entirely outside the designated payment approval hierarchy.
Upon examining the case records, the High Court observed that the official payment approval framework did not attribute any specific operational role to Champawat regarding financial disbursements. Taking note of his clean record and lack of prior criminal antecedents, the court granted him interim relief.
As part of the conditions for anticipatory protection, the High Court directed Champawat to report to the D.N. Nagar Police Station on November 12, 2026, between 10:00 AM and 2:00 PM. He has been instructed to fully cooperate with the ongoing investigation and submit all relevant documentation requested by investigating officers.
The investigation into the financial dealings between Dharma Productions and Mahaveer Jain Films regarding Naagzilla remains active, with the court’s interim protection remaining subject to Champawat’s compliance with investigative proceedings. Stay tuned to know more about it and others only with us and if you have anything to share do comment below and share your thoughts.
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