Court slaps fine on actor couple

HYDERABAD: Actor couple - Rajasekhar and Jeevitha - on Friday ended up paying a fine of  Rs 500 as they failed to respond to summons issued by IX metropolitan magistrate court of Ranga Reddy district, in a case pertaining to the couple's alleged defamatory statement against Chiranjeevi Eye and Blood Bank made last year.Manoj Kumar and Sudhakar, residents of Moosapet, filed a defamatory petition after the couple made statements against the functioning of Chiranjeevi Blood Bank. In September 2010, the court issued summons to the couple to appear in the court. But they did not appear."On June 27, the court issued an order imposing a fine of Rs 500 and ordered them to appear before the court, failing which a nonbailable warrant will be issued against Rajasekhar and Jeevitha,'' said LV Umamaheshwar Rao, advocate for the petitioners.Following this order, on Friday, the couple appeared before the court and paid a fine of Rs 500. For further arguments in the trial, the case was posted to August 19.