The Calcutta High Court has quashed a 2018 criminal case against Bollywood actress Zareen Khan, stemming from her alleged failure to appear as a guest artist at a Kali Puja event in November 2018.
The case, filed by Phoenix Talent Management, claimed Khan breached her contractual obligation after receiving a payment of INR12 lakh, leading to a reported loss of INR42 crores for the agency.
The complaint accused Khan and her associates of conspiracy, criminal breach of trust, cheating and issuing threats under Sections 406, 420, 506 and 120B of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). A charge sheet was subsequently filed in 2023, and the case was being heard in a Sealdah trial court.
In her defence, Khan argued that the matter was contractual and should not fall under criminal proceedings. Justice Bibhas Ranjan De agreed, stating, “The criminal courts are not meant to be used for settling scores or pressurising parties to resolve civil disputes.” The judge further noted that a civil suit regarding the same issue was already pending before a Mumbai court.
The High Court emphasised that the dispute did not warrant criminal action and allowed Zareen Khan’s plea to quash the case.
Senior Advocate Ayan Bhattacherjee, along with advocates Priyanka Agarwal and Priyanka Sarkar, represented Zareen Khan, while Senior Advocate Sourav Chatterjee and his team appeared for the complainant.
The verdict brings an end to the five-year-long criminal proceedings against the actress, although the civil case remains unresolved.