According to the 1,176-page charge sheet filed by the Economic Offences Wing (EOW) of Mumbai, film producer Prerna Arora had multiple passports and used information from previous deals to convince creditors that she would repay them.

The investigation has revealed that Arora, who has been charged with cheating producers of crores of rupees, sent a unique transaction reference (UTR) number to a director she owed money as proof that she could repay him. UTR numbers are generally used in association with NEFT or RTGS transactions.

Actually, this UTR number was from around two years ago and had been generated when actor Amitabh Bachchan returned over Rs 1 crore to Arora when a film deal between them fell through. Arora showed this number as proof she had Rs 1 crore.

Despite attempts to contact them, Bachhan’s representatives did not respond. Arora’s lawyer was also not available for comment.

The police have also found that Arora has two passports and false papers, including documents showing three different birth dates for Arora, in 1979, 1983 and 1986. Arora also had multiple driving licences.

Film producer Vashu Bhagnani filed a complaint against Arora in July last year and Arora was arrested in December 2018. She is presently lodged in Byculla women’s jail.

The EOW has charged her with sections 420 (cheating), 120B (criminal conspiracy) and 34 (common intention) of the Indian Penal code.

Her mother Pratima Arora and another director in Arora’s company Kriarj Entertainment Pvt Ltd, Arjun Kapoor have also been named in the charge sheet, but are yet to be arrested.

First Published: Feb 06, 2019 16:03 IST