Court stays proceedings against Suniel Shetty

NEW DELHI - The Delhi High Court Friday stayed criminal proceedings against Bollywood actor Suniel Shetty in a case filed against him for allegedly threatening a man.

Justice A.K. Pathak, while staying the summons issued by a trial court, also issued a notice to Delhi Police, asking it to file its response on Shetty’s petition, which sought quashing of the proceedings against him in the trial court.

The court direction came on a petition filed by Shetty, who alleged that the litigation was initiated against the actor with an intention to extort money.

The trial court had July 21 issued summons to Shetty, owner of a Popcorn Entertainment, on a complaint filed by stunt-man Puran Chauhan, who claimed to have helped Shetty as assistant director in the making of the upcoming film ‘Little Godfather’.

Chauhan had also submitted a CD before the court containing the threats issued to him by Shetty and the underworld. In the complaint filed in the court in 2008, Chauhan, who is physically challenged, alleged Shetty did not pay him the money despite taking his services in the Bollywood venture.

Chauhan said he filed the complaint in the court against Shetty after Delhi police refused to register a case. He had claimed the actor owed about Rs.50 lakh to him as per the term and conditions of the contract.

In his petition before the High Court, Shetty’s counsel Vineet Dhanda claimed that Chauhan had forged a letter to claim the money.