Asha Parekh booked on charges of forgery

Veteran actress Asha Parekh, who has been maintaining very low profile since last few years, is now facing charges of forgery and criminal breach of trust along with producer Sunil Shanbag. A complaint made by an art director Krishna Singh has led to these charges against the duo.

The art director filed an FIR against the actress and the producer. Following this, a local court ordered the Tardeo Police to investigate allegations made by the art director against Parekh and Shanbag. Shaida Razvi, the additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate stated that since serious allegations have been charged against them, a detailed investigation is required to find out the truth. A senior officer of the Tardeo police station was quoted saying that they are now looking into the matter and will file an official report before the court very soon.

The complainant Krishna said that she was working in Ajit Patnaik"s firm 'Designworks", where she was not being paid for some months since 2002. In her complaint, she mentioned that she was not paid salary for 15 months, which amounts Rs 2.05 lakhs. Krishna added that she then started working on some assignments for Shahbag and Parekh, who produced television serials. She said that she was supposed to get Rs 14,000 and Rs 87,000 from Shanbag and Parekh respectively.

When she moved to labour court against Patnaik, Patnaik forged papers on the letter heads of Sunil Shanbag and Asha Parekh to prove that she was paid all the money, Krishna added. She further said that Parekh called her in May 2005 and asked her to return to her native place as film industry was not for women. Citing all these, she filed private complaint in a Court, which later ordered further investigation.