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`600CR PONZI SCHEME | ED conducts searches at various locations in city;
freezes cash, bank funds, demat accounts, documents and digital devices
Agency freezes assets worth
`37 crore in Amber Dalal case
Ashish Singh
MUMBAI
The Enforcement Directorate
(ED) has conducted search op-
erations at various locations in
Mumbai as part of an investi-
gation into the Amber Dalal
case.
The searches included
Dalal’s Oshiwara residence and
other properties linked to his
associates. The ED froze mov-
able assets, including cash,
bank funds, and Demat ac-
count holdings, totalling Rs37
crore. The agency also seized
various incriminating docu-
ments and digital devices.
The search operations were
conducted on Friday, June 21.
On the same day, the Econ-
omic Offences Wing (EOW)
submitted a 44,000-page
chargesheet against Dalal be-
fore a special Maharashtra
Protection of Interest of De-
positors (MPID) court. The
chargesheet includes state-
ments from hundreds of wit-
nesses, including staff
Pilgrims’ progress: Doctors and techies
join devotees on the road to Pandharpur
FPJ News Service
MUMBAI
Doctors and information tech-
nology (IT) professionals from
Mumbai are among the
hundreds of thousands of pil-
grims walking to Pandharpur
in Solapur district for the an-
nual pilgrimage, or dindi, to
the Vithal temple. The walk is
also called ‘wari’ and the par-
ticipants ‘warkari’.
One group of doctors who
left the city on Sunday as part
of a ‘doctor dindi’ are not just
on a spiritual journey; they will
also be providing emergency
medical care for pilgrims
walking in difficult conditions
like monsoon weather and
hilly roads. They are part of the
Mauli Charitable and Medical
Trust, which has been provid-
ing emergency medical ser-
vices to the pilgrims for more
than 30 years.
Arvind Bhosale from the
group said that nearly 300 doc-
tors will provide medical ser-
vices at 22 locations along the
main route of the pilgrimage
from Alandi near Pune and
Pandharpur, a distance of
about 225 kilometres. The
group also provides ambu-
lances at the camps to take pil-
grims to nearby hospitals. The
group gets donations of medi-
cines from pharmaceutical
companies.
Dr Suresh Bhat, a member
of the group, practices at
‘RERA doesn’t have any provision
for unilateral deemed conveyance’
counsumer
Connect
Adv Shirish
V Deshpande
Q. Our society was
registered in June 2021
after the builder obtained
the OC. The project was
registered with MahaRERA
and the agreements for sale
executed between the
buyers and the builder are
also as per the draft
prescribed by MahaRERA.
However, even after three
years, the builder is yet to
convey the land in favour of
our society.
— Ramesh Prabhu, Kandivali
A. RERA provisions are clear
about the builder’s obliga-
tions to form the society and
execute conveyance on re-
ceipt of OC. As per Section
17, the builder is required to
execute a registered convey-
■ Amber Dalal allegedly
duped investors by
claiming to invest their
money in trading
risk-free commodities
■ After 2016, he
started accepting only
investments above
`10 lakh
members who worked at
Dalal’s firm, Ritz Consultancy
Services. EOW officials hinted
that they had identified Dalal’s
properties worth Rs17 crore.
The ED registered an ECIR
under the Prevention of
Money Laundering Act
(PMLA), 2002, against Dalal,
based on an FIR by the Mum-
bai Police EOW, which led to
Dalal’s arrest in March. Dalal is
accused of running a sus-
pected Ponzi scheme, promis-
ing high returns to investors
and then absconding with
their money after initial pay-
outs. It has been gathered that
Dalal raised more than Rs600
crore from 1,300 investors. He
The ‘doctor dindi’ will provide emergency medical care
for pilgrims walking in difficult conditions — Vijay Gohil
Bandra Government Colony.
He said that pilgrims are sus-
ceptible to foot injuries, dehy-
dration, fever, and stomach
ailments. “We look at our
work as service to Lord Pan-
ance in favour of the society
within a specified period as
per sanctioned plans as pro-
vided under local laws. How-
ever, in the absence of local
laws, conveyance deed in fa-
vour of the society has to be
executed within three
months from the date of OC.
In Maharashtra we have
local law MOFA governing
this aspect.
According to MOFA Sec-
tion 11 read with Rule 9, the
period of giving conveyance
is within four months from
the date of registration of the
society. It is pertinent to note
that Section 11 (3) of MoFA
provides for unilateral
deemed conveyance in case
the builder fails to execute
conveyance in accordance
with law. However, RERA
does not have a provision for
unilateral deemed convey-
ance.
Since your agreement for
sale is as per MahaRERA
guidelines and the project is
registered under Ma-
haRERA, you should file a
complaint with MahaRERA
under Section 31, pointing
out the failure of the builder
to execute conveyance for
such a long time and seek
is currently under judicial cus-
tody.
The ED investigation re-
vealed that Amber Dalal con-
vinced investors he was
investing their funds in nine
commodities (gold, silver,
crude oil, natural gas, zinc,
lead, nickel, copper and alu-
minium) and trading in them,
ensuring the capital was safe
while promising annual re-
turns of 18%-22%. Using the
same modus operandi, he also
raised money from investors in
the United Arab Emirates and
United States.
Dalal allegedly duped inves-
tors by claiming to invest their
money in trading risk-free
duranga,” said Bhat who will
be accompanied by students
from Terna Medical College,
Navi Mumbai.
There is also an ‘IT Dindi’
that comprises people work-
specific directions by the
MahaRERA Authority. You
can also lodge a complaint
with MahaRERA under Sec-
tion 61, which provides for
penalty up to 5% of the total
project cost. Thus under Sec-
tion 31 you will get directions
for execution of conveyance
deed and under Section 61
you can seek penalty for the
violation of law.
Q. I have filed a case before
the district consumer
commission against a
doctor for medical
negligence, which resulted
in a grievous injury to my
wife. I have also complained
before the medical council
about his professional
misconduct. The doctor has
now filed an application
before the district
commission praying that
the proceedings before it
be stayed pending the
outcome of the decision of
the medical council. How
should I deal with this
application? I am
representing my wife
without any legal
assistance.
— D Sadanand, Thane
A. You will note that the pro-
■ Until February this
year, he paid investors
regular interest
■ After defaulting on
payments between
March 10-13, the
59-year-old Oshiwara
resident went into
hiding on March 14
commodities. After 2016, he
started accepting only invest-
ments above Rs10 lakh. Until
February this year, he paid in-
vestors regular interest. After
defaulting on payments be-
tween March 10-13, the 59-
year-old Oshiwara resident
went into hiding on March 14.
After evading the police for 12
days, he was finally arrested on
March 26 from a hotel in Rishi-
kesh, Uttarakhand.
The search operations con-
ducted by the anti-money
laundering agency also un-
veiled a network of stock-
brokers and investment
advisors who brought clients
to Dalal in exchange for com-
ing in the technology and BPO
industries. Sachin Zapkar, who
runs an animation centre in
Pune, said that he has been
travelling as part of this group
for 10 years. This group helps
members who cannot travel
the entire pilgrimage route by
suggesting a day’s walk along
the route. One popular option
is from Saswad, outside Pune,
to Jejuri, a temple town on the
route. The IT Dindi has a
theme every year and this time
it is ‘Ram Mandir Vithu Pand-
hari’ to commemorate the
construction of the Ram
temple at Ayodhya.
The pilgrims who carry re-
ligious relics in palanquins, or
palkhis, reach Pandharpur be-
fore July 17, 2024, for Ashadi
Ekadashi, the 11th day of the
Shukla Paksha (bright fort-
night) of the Hindu lunar
month of Ashadh (June-July).
The temple’s deity, an incarna-
tion of Lord Vishnu, is also
called Pandarinath.
The tradition, believed to be
700-800 years old, commem-
orates a pilgrimage from
Alandi, near Pune, to Pandhar-
pur during the days of Sant
Dnyaneshwar, a saint, poet,
and philosopher of the Bhakti
religious tradition who lived in
the 13th century. A second pil-
grimage leaves for Pandhar-
pur for Dehu, another town
near Pune associated with
Sant Tukaram, saint-poet also
associated with the Bhakti
movement.
ceedings before the commis-
sion under the Consumer
Protection Act and enquiry
by the medical council
against the doctor are two
separate and independent
proceedings and can run
concurrently.
The application made by
the doctor appears to be
only to delay the proceed-
ings before the commission.
You should oppose his appli-
cation on the ground that the
two proceedings are inde-
pendent, although they may
be arising for the same inci-
dent. You may also point out
that the consumer commis-
sions are under statutory ob-
ligation vide Section 38 (7) of
CPA, 2019, to dispose of the
complaints before them as
expeditiously as possible and
an endeavour has to be made
by them to decide com-
plaints within three to five
months from the date of re-
ceipt of the notice by the op-
posite party.
Advocate Shirish
Deshpande is chairman,
Mumbai Grahak
Panchayat. Queries
may be sent to
shirish50@yahoo.com
mumbai
Mumbai, Monday, June 24, 2024
MBMC jr engineer booked
in stall allotment scam
SURESH GOLANI rested. earlier stint at the local ward
MIRA-BHAYANDAR Shinde not only took cash office, was also on the radar of
but also accepted money on the Anti-Corruption Bureau
An FIR has been finally regis- the unified payments interface for demanding a bribe of Rs2
tered against suspended junior (UPI) platforms from the ap- lakh for not taking action
engineer, Shailesh Shinde, who plicants. Following several against reconstruction work of
missions. It was found that is attached to the asset man- complaints, Deputy Municipal a Ghodbunder hotel in 2018,
payments received from new agement division of the Mira- Commissioner (headquarters) source said.
investments were being used Bhayandar Municipal Ravi Pawar suspended him on The Bhayandar police have
to pay the monthly returns to Corporation (MBMC), for his June 11 with immediate effect booked Shinde for forgery and
old investors. alleged involvement in forging pending investigation. fabricating documents. If in-
Dalal diverted the funds re- signatures of the city engineer The accused, who had vestigated in a proper manner,
ceived in Ritz’s account to per- to generate fake allotment of earned notoriety for his cor- more skeletons are likely to
sonal accounts, which were stalls in exchange of bribes. rupt practices in sheltering il- tumble out of the MBMC
further routed to family However, he is yet to be ar- legal constructions during his closets.
members’ accounts and used
to create assets. He diverted
approximately Rs51 crore to
his personal accounts, which
were used to acquire assets in
India and abroad. Eight such
immovable properties in India
and two properties abroad
have been identified.
It has further been revealed
that investments were made
not only through banking
channels but also through
cash, which was then infused
into the books as accommoda-
tion entries in connivance with
Mumbai-based jewelers. Re-
turns on such cash-based in-
vestments were given to
investors in India and abroad
(including the UK and UAE)
through hawala operators.
Case against
sub-inspector
for raping
subordinate
PTI
THANE
A case has been registered
against a 32-year-old police
sub-inspector for allegedly
raping and harassing a mar-
ried woman constable in Navi
Mumbai, an official said on
Sunday.
The offence was committed
between 2020 and July 2022 in
Sanpada area, he said.
The accused became
friends with the 26-year-old
woman, both attached to the
Mumbai police, and after
promising to marry her, he al-
legedly raped her on multiple
occasions at a flat in Sanpada,
the official said.
He also took Rs19 lakh from
the victim under some or the
other pretext and returned
only Rs14.61 lakh, the police
said.
The accused
became friends
with the 26-year-
old woman, both
attached to the
Mumbai police, and
after promising to
marry her, allegedly
raped her on
multiple occasions
The accused also stalked
the woman and asked her to
leave her husband, failing
which he threatened to kill
her, the official from Sanpada
police station said.
A complaint was filed in-
itially at the Pant Nagar police
station in Mumbai based on
which a ‘Zero’ FIR was regis-
tered there against the ac-
cused under Indian Penal
Code Sections 376 (rape),
376(2)(n) (repeated rape),
354(a) (sexual harassment),
354(d) (stalking), 506(2)
(criminal intimidation)
and 420 (cheating), the official
said.
It was transferred for
further investigation to the
Sanpada police, which regis-
tered the case on Saturday, he
said.
A Zero FIR can be filed at
any police station, irrespective
of the place of incident or ju-
risdiction, and can later be
transferred to the appropriate
police station.