The Egmore metropolitan magistrate court issued a six-month prison sentence to Jaya Prada, a veteran film star from South and Bollywood, as well as a former Member of Parliament. This ruling came in response to allegations of failing to pay the Employees State Insurance (ESI) funds for the workers employed at a cinema theatre she owned in the city. The decision was reached following a formal complaint lodged by the theatre workers who asserted that Jaya Prada had neglected to fulfil their ESI financial obligations.
These workers, who had been associated with the cinema for a decade even though it remained closed during that time, reported that though ESI deductions were being made from their earnings, these funds were not being remitted to the state insurance corporation. Faced with the denial of their rightful dues, they opted to approach the judicial system for redress.
Both Jaya Prada and the trio of employees managing the theatre had submitted a plea to the Madras High Court, urging an intervention to halt the proceedings in the Egmore court. Regrettably, the High Court dismissed all three of these petitions.
In the subsequent hearing held at the Egmore court, Jaya Prada made an offer to settle the amount owed to the workers. However, the legal representative for ESI raised objections to this proposal, resulting in the judge passing a six-month imprisonment sentence for the actor.
Several years ago, Jaya Prada and her associates were proprietors of a cinema hall situated in Chennai. Unfortunately, due to substantial losses incurred, they were compelled to cease its operations. The staff members who had been employed at this cinema instituted a legal case against the partners, citing their failure to reimburse the ESI funds that had been deducted from their salaries.
