Chennai, Sept 23:
Veteran actresses and sisters Ambika and Radha, who were among the popular heroines of 1980s Tamil cinema, are now involved in a family dispute over alleged cheque fraud, money and business interests.
Radha has complained to the Chennai Police Commissioner against Ambika and their brother Mallikarjuna Kunchan Nair, alleging that signed blank cheques belonging to her were taken and used for encashment. Ambika has denied the allegations and given her version of the dispute.
Ambika and Radha had acted opposite leading stars including Rajinikanth, Kamal Haasan and Mohan. The sisters have remained associated with the entertainment industry and have also been involved in business activities.
The dispute surfaced after Radha approached the Chennai Police Commissioner with a complaint alleging cheque fraud involving around Rs.46 crore. She said she was running a business under the name RR Gardens and normally stayed in the ground-floor portion of her Valasaravakkam house whenever she visited Chennai.
According to Radha, Ambika was also staying in the same portion and had access to the area where she stayed. Radha said she usually kept five or six signed blank cheques in her room for expenses connected with the property and business, including workers’ salaries, electricity bills, property tax, water and sewage charges and garden maintenance.
Radha alleged that Ambika and Mallikarjuna Kunchan Nair took these signed cheques and presented them for encashment. She termed the alleged act illegal. The complaint is under investigation.
Responding to the allegations, Ambika questioned the varying amounts being reported, pointing out that reports had mentioned Rs.43 crore and Rs.46 crore. She said the figure appeared to be changing and increasing.
Ambika acknowledged that Radha had given her cheques but said Radha later stopped payment on them. She questioned why the reason for stopping the cheques had not been properly explained.
Ambika also spoke about ARS Gardens, describing it as being like her child. She recalled that the name had been given to the company by former Chief Minister and actor M.G. Ramachandran. Ambika said she recently visited the property and was shocked to find that the ARS Gardens name had been removed and another name displayed.
She said there had also been a long-standing disagreement over the shares in the business. Ambika claimed that a production company functioning under the name ARS also existed and that she held a share in it, but alleged that Radha was unwilling to discuss her shareholding.
Ambika made another personal allegation, saying that gold was Radha’s weakness. She claimed that a considerable quantity of her own gold was with Radha and questioned why Radha had not given an explanation about it. These allegations have not been independently established.
Ambika also questioned Radha’s account of the signed blank cheques. She said Radha was extremely careful about her valuables, even locking her handbag and using a number lock while sleeping. Against this background, she questioned whether Radha would have kept signed cheques at home as alleged.
Ambika said she was deeply hurt that her sister had filed a cheque fraud complaint against her. Responding to Radha’s claim that she had not answered phone calls, Ambika said she had actively helped with arrangements for Radha’s daughter’s wedding and had been working with the family throughout the event. She questioned why she would deliberately avoid Radha’s calls.
Ambika said she had initially wanted the matter to remain within the family and believed it could have been settled privately. She maintained that the three cheques were not stolen blank cheques but had been handed over to her by Radha towards money that Radha owed her.