Court halts legal action against actors Nivin Pauly and Abrid Shine in a 19 million Indian rupee fraud case in Kerala
Kerala High Court Stays ₹1.9 Crore Cheating Case Against Nivin Pauly and Abrid Shine
In a significant development, the Kerala High Court has stayed the criminal proceedings against Malayalam actor Nivin Pauly and director Abrid Shine, who are embroiled in a case related to an alleged ₹1.9 crore fraud in the film 'Action Hero Biju 2'.
The interim stay was issued on August 12, 2025, by Justice V G Arun after petitions from Nivin Pauly and Abrid Shine challenged the complaint filed by producer P S Shamnas. The court found merit in the petitioners' argument that the dispute was essentially civil, not criminal, and criticized the magistrate for forwarding the complaint for police investigation without considering an earlier police report which had suggested no basis for criminal proceedings.
The case revolves around allegations that Shamnas was promised a co-producer role and overseas profit share in Action Hero Biju 2 after incurring losses in Mahaveeryar. Shamnas claimed the accused concealed title transfer details and used an old agreement to sell overseas rights to a Dubai firm for ₹5 crore, causing him wrongful loss. The criminal case was registered under IPC sections 406 (criminal breach of trust), 420 (cheating), and 34 (common intention).
However, Nivin Pauly and Abrid Shine argued that the issue was civil and pointed to a previous police report indicating the complainant should pursue civil remedies. The court noted that the magistrate should not have forwarded the complaint mechanically without addressing the police report and conducting further inquiry.
Additionally, Nivin Pauly and Shine have alleged forgery by Shamnas regarding signature documents submitted to the Kerala Film Chamber of Commerce, with a separate complaint pending.
The next hearing in the case Abrid Shine v State of Kerala & anr and connected case is yet to be scheduled. The stay does not affect the ongoing investigation into the alleged fraud. The hearings will clarify the next steps in the matter, and concerns about the fairness of the proceedings and the potential for bias against the defendants have also been raised.
[1] Times of India
[2] The Hindu
[3] Manorama Online
[4] India Today
[5] Deccan Herald
- Despite the ongoing cheating case against them, the stay by the Kerala High Court has temporarily halted the criminal proceedings against Nivin Pauly and Abrid Shine in the general-news category, as reported by various sources such as The Times of India, The Hindu, Manorama Online, India Today, and Deccan Herald.
- The Kerala High Court's decision to stay the criminal proceedings against Nivin Pauly and Abrid Shine in the 'Action Hero Biju 2' case has reignited debates on the intersection of politics and justice, with criticism levied at the magistrate's handling of the case, as discussed in several political and crime-and-justice articles on the mentioned news platforms.
