Bhagyalakshmi actress Padmaja Rao sentenced to three months in jail for cheque bounce

Actress Padmaja Raocurrently playing the role of Kusuma in the popular Kannada daily soap Bhagyalakshmiwas sentenced to three months in prison imprisonment and fined INR 40.20 lakh by the 8th Magistrates' Court (JMFC) in Mangaluru. The court's verdict comes on the back of a bad check case, making her the last Sandalwood actress face imprisonment.
The case began with a complaint filed by Veerendra Shetty, owner of Veeru Talkies in Mangaluru, who alleged that Padmaja Rao had borrowed INR 40 lakh and issued a cheque from her ICICI bank account in Banashankari, Bengaluru, for repayment. However, the cheque was bounced due to insufficient funds. Despite a notice issued on June 30, 2020, demanding repayment within fifteen days, Rao failed to settle the amount. Although she denied taking the loan or issuing the cheque, evidence presented in court refuted her allegations.
Padmaja Rao's defence argued that the cheque was stolen from her home and her signature was forged, but they were unable to provide evidence. The court ordered that Rao should pay INR 40.20 lakh, of which INR 40.17 lakh would go to the complainant and INR 3,000 to the government. In addition to the financial penalty, she faces a possible three-month jail term.
Padmaja Rao set a benchmark in her role as Kusuma, playing a supportive mother-in-law who stands by her daughter-in-law in good times and bad, in Bhagyalakshmi.
Padmaja Rao has also made her mark in the Kannada film and television industry, with notable performances in films such as Mungaru Male, Gaalipata, Petromax and Rocky among others.
On television, she is known for her roles in serials like Benkiyalli Aralida Hoovu, Sama Rekhegalu, Shikhara, Aramane Gili, Jothe Jotheyalli, Hoovi and Bhagyalakshmi.