Kerala film producer sentenced to two years’ imprisonment each in two cheating cases

A court here has sentenced a film producer to two years’ imprisonment each in two cheating cases. Additional Sessions Court Judge Sabarinathan P. found Joby George, 49, of Kallara South in Kottayam guilty in two cases related to promising jobs and business opportunities abroad.

Mr. George’s mother, Alice George, and wife, Sunimol, were acquitted in both the cases on Saturday. Mr. George is the producer of several Malayalam films, including Kishkindha Kaandam, Kaaval and Shylock.

In one case, Mr. George was found guilty of cheating a couple, Biju Varghese and Darley Biju, by promising to help them start a business in London by opening an off-licence shop in Newcastle on a partnership basis and arranging college admission in the U.K. He had taken ₹17.75 lakh from them in 2010.

The Mulanthuruthy police initially registered the case in 2012, which was later handed over to the Crime Branch in 2013. The court sentenced Mr. George to two years of imprisonment and imposed a fine of ₹16.52 lakh in the case.

Second case

The second case relates to cheating one Rajesh Mathew of ₹50 lakh by promising to arrange an employment visa to the U.K. between 2011 and 2012. The case was registered by the Muvattupuzha police in 2012. In this case also, the court sentenced him to two years’ imprisonment and imposed a fine of ₹50 lakh.

The court later suspended the sentence for a month to allow the accused to file an appeal before a higher court.