Tamil actor-producer 'Powerstar' Srinivasan was arrested on Tuesday over charges of duping a New Delhi-based businessman. Srinivasan cheated the man of Rs.10 crore after promising to get him a Rs. 1,000 crore loan.
He was arrested from his Anna Nagar residence by the Economic Offences wing of the Delhi police. A cheating case had been registered against him in 2010, based on the complaint Delhi resident, Dileep Pathani. According to News 18, the actor approached the complainant's company, Blue Coast Infrastructure Development Pvt Limited, in 2010 and represented himself as a consultant. He then promised to help him secure a loan of Rs. 1,000 crore.
The businessman was even brought to Chennai where the actor met him in Baba Trading Company office. As a condition for disbursing the loan, Srinivasan reportedly demanded an upfront payment for his commission.
Srinivasan had previously been arrested in 2013 and lodged in Tihar jail for two months. He was allowed to leave on bail after he promised to settle the pending dues within a stipulated time. However, he did not meet this promise and was arrested on Tuesday morning. According to TOI, he was produced before the metropolitan magistrate court in Egmore to obtain a transit warrant that allowed them to take him to Delhi.
It has also reportedly come to light during investigations that the actor has duped several others in the same manner. According to ToI, he also cheated two Bengaluru businessmen of Rs.90 lakh in 2010.
Despite allegations of duping and fraud against him, he had been inducted in the BJP in 2016, in the presence of Union Minister, Pon Radhakrishnan. He joined the party in the run up to the Assembly polls.