Kerala Court orders criminal case against producer who accused Nivin Pauly of cheating

A Kerala court has directed to initiate criminal proceedings against film producer P.S. Shamnas after concluding that he misled the judiciary while seeking the registration of a cheating case against actor Nivin Pauly and filmmaker Abrid Shine.

The Judicial First Class Magistrate Court in Vaikom found that Shamnas submitted false statements in an affidavit that ultimately triggered a police investigation into the duo over a dispute concerning distribution rights for the upcoming film ‘Action Hero Biju 2’.

The court has instructed its Junior Superintendent to file a formal complaint for perjury under the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) and relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) relating to false evidence and false declarations.

Affidavit found to be false

The magistrate’s order came while hearing a counter-complaint filed by Nivin Pauly. During the proceedings, the court noted that Shamnas had declared in his affidavit that no other legal dispute existed between the parties. However, judges found that a commercial suit was already pending before the Commercial Court in Ernakulam. That court had previously issued an injunction restraining Shamnas in relation to the same conflict.

The Vaikom court observed that the omission of this information amounted to a deliberate attempt to mislead the judiciary. It said such conduct undermined the integrity of the legal process and warranted criminal action.

Dispute stems from film rights row

Shamnas had earlier accused Nivin Pauly and director-producer Abrid Shine of cheating him of ₹1.9 crore. He alleged that after the box-office failure of ‘Mahaveeryar’, in which he claimed to have invested between ₹3.5 crore and ₹4 crore, the two promised him a co-producer credit on ‘Action Hero Biju 2’ and a share in overseas distribution.

He further claimed that the film’s overseas rights were sold based on an outdated contract, causing him financial loss.

The allegations led to an FIR being registered against Pauly and Shine, prompting both to approach the Kerala High Court.

High Court proceedings ongoing

The Kerala High Court has stayed further investigation into the case. Pauly and Shine have denied the allegations, accusing Shamnas instead of forging the actor’s signature in documents submitted to the Kerala Film Chamber of Commerce.

Mediation attempts between the parties have failed, leading the High Court to extend the interim stay. The underlying dispute continues in both civil and criminal courts.

The Vaikom magistrate’s court is scheduled to review the matter again on 12 March.