Delhi HC refuses to quash FIR against 'Drishyam 2' producer Kumar Mangat Pathak in fraud case- Read more

The Delhi High Court on Thursday refused to quash an FIR against Bollywood movie "Drishyam 2" producer Kumar Mangat Pathak in an alleged fraud case related to the sale of the movie's rights.

Justice Neena Krishna Bansal refused to grant the relief observing the investigation was still at a preliminary stage and the petitioner was cooperating with the authorities. "There is no need to intervene at this point," the judge said.

As reported by ANI, the case involves allegations of a Rs 4.3 crore fraud over the Chinese-language distribution rights of the film in China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan. An FIR filed in June 2025 accuses Pathak, Bharat Sevak, and others of conspiracy, forging documents, and misrepresenting film rights.

Court refuses to Quash FIR

Pathak had approached the Delhi High Court seeking to quash the FIR filed by the Economic Offences Wing (EOW), arguing that the issue was a commercial dispute being wrongly treated as a criminal case. His lawyer also pointed out that he had already cooperated with the investigation and was pursuing other legal options.

However, Justice Neena Krishna Bansal declined to keep the petition pending or grant any interim relief. The court observed that the investigation was still at an early stage. Since Pathak had already joined the probe, there was no need for judicial interference at this point.

Businessman alleges fraud

The case began with a complaint from a Delhi-based businessman who claimed he was tricked into investing Rs 4.3 crore based on forged documents. He said he was promised exclusive rights to distribute 'Drishyam 2' in China by Bharat Sevak, who introduced himself as an official representative of Panorama Studios and a partner at Terra Bento Mines & Minerals.

Sevak allegedly shared a fake term sheet and arranged meetings with key people from the production team, including Kumar Mangat Pathak. The businessman also said he was promised a share of the film’s sales revenue, which never materialized.

Studio distances itself from Sevak

Bharat Sevak claimed he had transferred Rs 15.75 crore out of a Rs 16.40 crore deal for the Chinese distribution rights of 'Drishyam 2'. However, Panorama Studios denied receiving any such amount, stating that the money was deposited into an unrelated account with which they had no connection.

Responding to the allegations, Pathak presented evidence showing that Sevak’s authorization was limited and had already expired before the supposed agreement took place. The petition to quash the FIR also included legal references and a public notice from Panorama Studios, warning third parties not to rely on any unauthorized claims made by Sevak.