Film financier Bothra arrested on extortion charge

The accused Mukunth Bothra (57), Sandeep Bothra (27) and Gagan Bothra (26) from Sowcarpet were detained by the Kanthuvatti and Non-Specialised Traditional Crimes Wing of CCB, based on the complaint from Senthil K Ganapathi, proprietor of PRC International Hotels Pvt Ltd. 

According to the complainant, he obtained Rs 83.50 lakh from Mukund Bothra in August last year to develop his hotel on Vijaya Raghava Road, T Nagar, and reportedly submitted blank signed cheques and empty stamp papers as security. However, even after settling the loan in multiple terms, the trio demanded him Rs 4.24 crore as the interest he was supposed to pay was 60 per cent. They have also threatened Senthil Ganapathy over phone and in person. 

Not stopping there, the accused created a fake sale deed for the hotel in T Nagar using the stamp papers given by Senthil Ganapathy and published an advertisement in newspapers stating that they hold 98 per cent stakes in the property and others are prohibited to claim ownership. Based on Senthil Ganapathy’s petition to the Commissioner on June 15, Central Crime Branch formed a special team and arrested all the three accused on Tuesday. 

However, this is not the first time Mukund Bothra is in the news for extortion. In 2012, he sued film director-producer Kasthuri Raja alleging that the latter did not pay Rs 65 lakh he borrowed and asked the Madras High Court to include his in-law Rajinikanth as a respondent. Mukund Bothra had already been arrested by CCB 2006 in a similar extortion case.