Soubin Shahir Arrested in Manjummel Boys Fraud Case, Walks Out on Bail Amid Financial Controversy

Malayalam actor and producer Soubin Shahir, who played a key role in the blockbuster film Manjummel Boys, faced arrest in Kerala on Tuesday for his involvement in a financial fraud case tied to the movie. The police also arrested fellow producers Babu Shahir and Shawn Antony based on a complaint from an investor who accused them of misusing funds. The police registered the arrests and immediately released all three on anticipatory bail.

Why Did Police Arrest Soubin Shahir?

Siraj Valiyaveettil, an investor, filed the case and claimed he invested Rs 7 crore into Manjummel Boys. He said the producers promised him a 40% profit share but never delivered the money. He also accused them of lying about the film’s production budget. According to Siraj, the team said the budget would be Rs 22 crore, but they only spent Rs 18.65 crore.

Maradu police investigated the complaint and found that the producers misled the investor by claiming they had completed the film’s first schedule, even though they hadn’t even started filming. Siraj said he moved forward with the investment based on this false claim.

Court Rejects Dismissal, Allows Bail

After the arrest, the Kerala High Court upheld the anticipatory bail and prevented the police from holding the accused in custody. The court also refused to quash the case and directed Soubin and the others to cooperate fully with the investigation.

Soubin denied the arrest publicly and said the reports were incorrect. He told reporters that they had already submitted all financial documents and disputed the investor’s claims. He said, “We went for arbitration, but they didn’t show up.” He added that they still await some incoming payments and the numbers in the complaint don’t match the records.

Manjummel Boys’ Success Fuels the Dispute

Manjummel Boys, directed by Chidambaram, became a box-office sensation, earning Rs 240.5 crore worldwide. The film now ranks as 2024’s highest-grossing Malayalam movie and the second-highest of all time after L2: Empuraan. Due to the massive earnings, the police demand a detailed audit of the movie’s total revenue.

Investigation Still in Progress

Investigators believe the fraud was planned in advance. They suspect that the producers exploited the investor’s trust to secure funding. While the court has allowed bail, the investigation remains active. The High Court made it clear that Soubin, Babu, and Shawn must fully cooperate, although the police cannot question them in custody.

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