New Delhi: A Chennai court has sentenced renowned actress Jaya Prada, who has appeared in more than 300 films over the course of her 30-year career, to six months in jail and a fine of Rs 5,000 in a case that goes back many years. Jaya Prada was found guilty of failing to pay Employees' State Insurance funds to the employees of her theatrical business in the state's commercial hub. It has been reported that the actress's colleagues in business, Ram Kumar and Raja Babu, were also found guilty in the same case.
According to Hindustan Times, the jury also convicted Jaya's business colleagues Ram Kumar and Raja Babu guilty. In Chennai, she ran a theatre that unfortunately had to close. The theatrical staff eventually filed a complaint against her for failing to disburse the ESI funds that had been withheld from their paychecks.
The renowned actress-politician Jaya Prada was also ordered to pay a fine of Rs 5,000 related to the case.
The employees further alleged that the ESI funds were not sent to the Government Insurance Corporation. According to HT, a lawsuit was filed against Jaya and her accomplices at Chennai's Egmore Magistrate Court by the Labour Government Insurance Corporation. The actress confessed and said she would pay all the debts. She attempted to have the case dismissed, but the court denied her request and instead sentenced her to jail time and a fine.
Jaya has appeared in a number of Telugu films in addition to Bollywood films. Throughout the late '80s and '90s, she shared the screen alongside many Bollywood A-listers, including Amitabh Bachchan, Jeetendra, and Sanjay Dutt.