The Additional Metropolitan Magistrate’s Court in Borivali, Mumbai, on September 1, 2026, sentenced Pala legislator Mani C. Kappan to one year of simple imprisonment. The court also ordered him to pay compensation of ₹1.20 crore in a cheque‑bounce case linked to shares in Kannur International Airport.
The conviction was recorded under Section 138 of the Negotiable Instruments Act, 1881, and Section 255(2) of the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973. The order mandates payment of the compensation with simple interest of 9 % from the date of the order until full realisation, to be completed within one month. Failure to comply may attract an additional three‑month term of imprisonment.
The court directed that the compensation be paid to the complainant, Mumbai‑based businessman Dinesh Menon, subject to any appellate orders, and instructed police to issue a non‑bailable warrant for execution of the sentence. Attempts to reach Mr. Kappan for comment were unsuccessful. Sources close to the legislator indicated he intends to appeal, asserting that the judgment was delivered without hearing his side and that he had not appeared at the hearing.
Kappan, a United Democratic Front MLA, has claimed the case is intended to block him from assuming a ministerial post that he says was promised to him. He maintains that the legal action is politically motivated and seeks to impede his elevation within the state government.
