Tollywood star couple get a prison sentence in defamation case
Tollywood actor couple Rajasekhar and Jeevitha have been sentenced to one year of imprisonment in a defamation case. The judgment was pronounced by the 17th Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate court, which also imposed a fine of Rs 5,000 on them. However, the couple was granted bail to pursue an appeal in a higher court.
The defamation case dates back to 2011 when the actor couple made certain allegations against the Chiranjeevi Blood Bank, which is run by megastar Chiranjeevi. Rajasekhar and Jeevitha alleged that the Blood Bank collected blood from donors for free but then sold it for a profit. They also accused Chiranjeevi’s Charitable Trust, which received Rs. 14.5 lahks from the state government for the blood bank’s maintenance, of selling a unit of blood at Rs 850.
Film producer Allu Aravind, who is Chiranjeevi’s brother-in-law, filed a defamation suit against Rajasekhar and Jeevitha. Aravind stated that the allegations made by the actor couple and their follower Harikrishna Goud were completely false and driven by political motives. The court’s judgment found the couple guilty of defamation, leading to the one-year imprisonment and fine. However, they were granted bail to pursue their appeal in a higher court.
