Veteran actor Radha has filed a complaint with the Greater Chennai Police Commissioner against her sister and actor Ambika and their brother Mallikarjuna Kunjan Nair, alleging that signed blank cheques kept at her Chennai residence were accessed without her knowledge and presented in an attempt to claim around ₹46 crore. The complaint was submitted on September 21.
According to Radha’s complaint, she had kept several signed blank cheques at her residence for routine business-related expenses, including employee salaries, utility bills, taxes and garden maintenance. She said the cheques belonged to an older cheque book connected to her business account.
What Did Radha Allege?
Radha reportedly maintained a current account with IDBI Bank for business purposes. The business was initially operated under the name ARS Garden Studio and was later renamed RR Gardens in January 2025. After receiving a new cheque book, she stopped using the older one and said she subsequently forgot about the unused cheques that remained at her residence.
Radha said she was alerted by her bank in September after five old cheques were presented for payment in Ambika’s name. The total amount involved was reportedly around ₹46 crore. She said she immediately instructed the bank to stop payment and maintained that she had not handed the cheques to Ambika or authorised such transactions.
She has further alleged that her brother Mallikarjuna was involved in filling out the cheques and that the documents were accessed while she was away from Chennai. Radha has asked the police to investigate the allegations and take appropriate action if the claims are established.
Ambika Disputes the Allegations
Ambika has disputed Radha’s version of events. According to a statement reported by Onmanorama, Ambika claimed that the five cheques were issued to her by Radha as part of a settlement between the sisters. She also linked the dispute to wider disagreements involving property, business interests and an arbitration matter.
The sisters’ dispute therefore appears to extend beyond the alleged cheque transactions, with claims involving property and business interests also being raised by both sides. The allegations made in Radha’s complaint have not been adjudicated, and the circumstances surrounding the cheques remain subject to police inquiry.
Radha and Ambika are well-known names in South Indian cinema and enjoyed successful acting careers during the 1980s. The two sisters have also appeared together in several films across Tamil cinema.
The latest complaint has brought their long-standing family dispute into the public spotlight, while the police inquiry is expected to establish the circumstances surrounding the disputed cheques and the alleged ₹46 crore transaction.
