Soubin Shahir denied foreign travel; Kerala HC upholds lower court order; 'Manjummel Boys' fraud case deepens

Malayalam actor and filmmaker Soubin Shahir, along with co-producer Shaun Antony, has hit another roadblock in the ongoing financial fraud case linked to their film 'Manjummel Boys'. Reportedly, the Kerala High Court has dismissed their plea challenging a magistrate court order that denied them permission to travel abroad.

Court refuses plea for Dubai trip

As reported by Manorama Online, Soubin and Shaun had approached the High Court after the Ernakulam Judicial First Class Magistrate Court declined their request to attend an award ceremony scheduled in Dubai on September 6. A vacation bench led by Justice P.V. Balakrishnan upheld the earlier order, asking the state government to file a detailed report before the matter is reconsidered on September 8. For now, the travel ban remains in place.

The allegations around 'Manjummel Boys'

The controversy started from a complaint filed by an investor named Siraj. He claimed he had put in Rs 7 crore for the making of 'Manjummel Boys'. According to him, the producers had assured him 40 percent of the profits. Although the Chidambaram's directorial became a blockbuster, Siraj alleged that he was denied his share as promised.Based on his complaint, Ernakulam police registered a cheating case against Soubin, his father, and Shaun Antony.

Soubin’s recent work in Tamil cinema

Amid the legal battle, Soubin Shahir was last seen in 'Coolie', a Tamil action thriller headlined by superstar Rajinikanth. Directed by Lokesh Kanagaraj, the film also featured Sathyaraj, Nagarjuna Akkineni, Upendra, and Shruti Haasan in pivotal roles, while Bollywood actor Aamir Khan made a cameo appearance. Soubin played Dayal, the villain character in the action flick. The movie received mixed reviews from the audiences, despite good box office collections.In Malayalam, Soubin's previous outings were 'Machante Maalakha' and Basil Joseph's 'Praavinkoodu Shappu'. Both the films received mixed reviews from the audiences.