Actor Ambika has said she never expected to publicly address a family dispute but maintained that the recent controversy involving her sister Radha is only one part of a much larger disagreement over property, business interests and other financial matters. Speaking at a press meet in Chennai, the actor said she had tried to keep the issue within the family until Radha’s police complaint brought it into the public domain.

For Ambika, however, the dispute is also deeply personal. She spoke at length about ARS Gardens, which she said carries decades of memories for the family. Recalling the change of its name, she said the property was “like my child” and that seeing the original ARS Gardens name removed was emotionally devastating.

Ambika was responding to Radha’s recent complaint to the Greater Chennai Police, in which the latter alleged that signed blank cheques kept at her residence had been accessed without her knowledge and presented in Ambika’s name, with the total amount reportedly estimated at around Rs 46 crore. Radha has also alleged that the cheques were misused in connection with the wider family property dispute. The allegations in the complaint have not been adjudicated.

Rejecting the allegation that she had stolen the cheques, Ambika offered a different account of how they came into her possession. According to her, the cheques were handed over by Radha as part of discussions to settle several long-standing disputes involving property, business interests and gold. “It is true that she gave the cheques, and it is also true that she stopped them,” she said.

Ambika further claimed that the cheque issue cannot be viewed in isolation from the ongoing dispute surrounding ARS Gardens and the family’s business interests. She said she had previously approached the authorities over the property and partnership-related disagreements and that the matter was already being looked into.

The actor also questioned the allegation that she had taken the signed cheques from Radha’s room. She said Radha was extremely careful about her belongings and questioned how such documents could have been taken without her knowledge. Ambika maintained that she was deeply hurt by being accused of theft, particularly because the dispute involves her own sister.

Ambika also spoke about a separate dispute over gold ornaments, claiming that some of her jewellery was in Radha’s possession. She said the issue had been part of the broader discussions between the sisters over settling their financial and property-related disagreements. According to Ambika, the gold dispute, along with the disagreements over ARS Gardens and other family assets, was among the matters for which the cheques were allegedly given as part of a proposed settlement.

The legal side of the dispute is also expected to continue. Ambika’s lawyer said the cheques had been returned unpaid and indicated that they were considering further legal proceedings over the alleged cheque dishonour, while also challenging the complaint filed by Radha. These remain the respective parties’ claims and proposed legal steps.

Ambika ended the press meet by saying that she had no intention of continuing the matter through the media. She said she had initially stayed silent because she did not want a family dispute to become public and added that she would now leave the matter to the authorities.