TV actress gets three-year jail in 1996 forgery case

New Delhi: A court here has sentenced TV actress Indu Verma to three years’ rigorous imprisonment in a 1996 forgery case.

Metropolitan Magistrate Lovleen held Verma guilty of cheating, forgery, impersonating and misappropriation of cheques and directed her to pay Rs.20 lakh to her previous employer, Thomas Cook India Private Limited.

According to the prosecution, Verma, 42, impersonated as Shivani Arora and purchased jewellery worth approximately Rs.17.50 lakh from a shop between September 6, 1996, and October 3, 1996, by using forged cheques pertaining to her then employer.

“It is apparent that the convict (Verma) has not only acted against the interests of an employer but also caused it loss to the tune of Rs.17.50 lakh. … the convict’s conduct does not deserve any leniency,” the court said in its recent order, which was released on Wednesday.

As an interim relief, the court suspended Verma’s sentence for a month to enable her to file appeal and asked her to furnish a bond of Rs.20,000 with one surety of the like amount.