Soubin Shahir denies arrest in financial fraud case

Malayalam actor and producer Soubin Shahir has clarified that he was not arrested in connection with the financial fraud case related to the blockbuster film Manjummel Boys. Speaking to the media after two days of questioning by the Maradu police, Soubin said reports of his arrest were incorrect.“We have the documents in our hands and the figures that are still to come. The payments are still pending. All the documents prior to this have already been submitted,” Soubin said while talking to the reporters outside the police station, adding that he trusted both the police and the court.“We went for arbitration,” says SoubinThe Maheshinte Prathikaaram actor, who also co-produced Manjummel Boys, alleged that the complaint against him was based on false financial claims.

“The figures they are quoting are wrong. All the correct figures have been submitted. We have already paid. They are the ones who filed the case. We went for arbitration — they were the ones who didn’t show up,” he said.He also clarified that no further summons had been issued. “They said they will inform us if needed,” he added.Father Babu Shahir and co-producer Shawn Antony also questionedSoubin was interrogated in connection with a complaint filed by Siraj Valiyathura, who alleged that the producers promised a 40 per cent profit share in return for his Rs 7 crore investment during the film’s production.

Siraj claimed he neither received the profit nor a refund.Maradu police also questioned Soubin’s father and co-producer Babu Shahir, as well as producer Shawn Antony, in the case.

While Soubin has denied being arrested, several reports stated that the actor and his co-producers were briefly arrested and released on bail due to anticipatory bail granted earlier by the High Court. The court had directed that the accused should not be questioned in custody and should be released immediately if arrested.The High Court had also refused to quash the case, and turned down the police’s request for custodial interrogation.According to the investigation report filed by the police, the accused misled the complainant into believing that the film’s first schedule was complete before filming had actually begun. Authorities are now pressing for a thorough audit of the film’s revenue, given its massive commercial success.Manjummel Boys becomes Malayalam cinema’s top grosser of 2024Directed by Chidambaram, Manjummel Boys stars Soubin Shahir, Sreenath Bhasi, Deepak Parambol, Balu Varghese, Ganapathi S. Poduval, Lal Jr., and others. The survival drama is based on a real-life incident at the Guna Caves in 2006.According to Sacnilk, the film has collected Rs 240.5 crore worldwide, making it the highest-grossing Malayalam film of 2024 and the second-highest of all time, behind L2: Empuraan.Earlier this year, legendary composer Ilaiyaraaja also filed a case against the producers for unauthorised usage of the iconic song Kanmani Anbodu Kadhalan from the 1991 Tamil film Gunaa.