Bhagyaraj and Ramesh Kanna have filed a police complaint against director Visu and writer Piraisoodan. As per the complaint, Visu, former President of the South Indian Film Writer’s Association, have allegedly diverted funds worth Rs 37 lakhs to a separate foundation.
Director Visu was the association’s president when the alleged incident happened. Writer Piraisoodan was the secretary. Bhagyaraj’s complaint also names Madhumitha, an office-bearer with the association.
Speaking to Silverscreen, Ramesh Kanna explained: “The Screen Writer’s Association election happened in 2016 after decades. Till that time, a faction favoured by Visu was in power. They had made tall claims about how they had set up a separate trust to oversee the funds the association provides to the writers in need. When Bhagyaraj sir took charge as president in 2016, we made several attempts to get in touch with Visu and Piraisoodan about the association’s money and that of the trust. But they did not come to any of the meetings.”
Kanna claims that Visu and Piraisoodan made every effort to make sure to obstruct investigation into the activities of the previous office-bearers.
“We have very little information about the functioning of the new trust, how it was created and so on. It was only recently that we discovered that the money to the trust has been diverted from the association. As it stands, there is no legal link between the association and the trust. The previous members have done this without the knowledge of the other members of the organisation.” he added.
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Meanwhile, Visu refuted the allegations. “I have been the president of the association for over 10 years, and have not taken even a single paisa for conveyance. The members charge the association for the food they eat at different hotels, but I have always brought my own food. To face accusations like this, at a time when I’m going through dialysis, is very troubling.”
The director said that he does not have access to the trust funds. “I am a mere trustee. If the nationalised bank into which the money has been deposited agrees, I can maybe look at the accounts. I cannot touch the money at all,”
Visu will fight the complaint legally, he said.