Zareen Khan
The Calcutta High Court has dismissed a 2018 criminal case against Bollywood actress Zareen Khan, which stemmed from allegations of her failure to appear as a guest artist at a Kali Puja event in November 2018.
The case was filed by Phoenix Talent Management, accusing Khan of breaching a contractual obligation after receiving an advance payment of INR 12 lakh for the event. The agency claimed this breach caused them a significant financial loss, reportedly amounting to INR 42 crores.
The complaint further alleged that Khan, along with her associates, was involved in conspiracy, criminal breach of trust, cheating, and issuing threats.
These charges were filed under Sections 406 (criminal breach of trust), 420 (cheating), 506 (criminal intimidation), and 120B (criminal conspiracy) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). After years of legal proceedings, a charge sheet was eventually filed in 2023, and the matter was being heard in a Sealdah trial court.
In her defense, Zareen Khan contended that the matter was purely contractual in nature and did not warrant criminal proceedings. She argued that such disputes should be addressed under civil law, not criminal law.
Justice Bibhas Ranjan De, who presided over the case, agreed with her argument, emphasizing that criminal courts should not be misused to pressurize parties or settle civil disputes. He further noted that a civil suit concerning the same issue was already pending in a Mumbai court.
Highlighting the nature of the dispute, Justice De stated that criminal action was unwarranted in this case and subsequently allowed Zareen Khan’s plea to quash the charges. This judgment brings an end to the five-year-long criminal case against the actress, although the civil matter remains unresolved.
Zareen Khan was represented by Senior Advocate Ayan Bhattacherjee, along with advocates Priyanka Agarwal and Priyanka Sarkar. The complainant, Phoenix Talent Management, was represented by Senior Advocate Sourav Chatterjee and his legal team.
The court’s decision reinforces the principle that contractual disputes should be addressed in civil courts rather than through criminal proceedings, providing clarity on the demarcation between civil and criminal legal frameworks.
