3 dupe realty firm’s ex-director of crores, EOW registers FIR
MUMBAI: The Economic Offences Wing (EOW) of the city police has registered a second FIR against three directors of a realty firm for allegedly siphoning off ₹7 crore from the company’s account and cheating an ex-director.
In the complaint, ex-director, Ramakant Pandey, alleged that directors – Akhilesh Choubey, his brother Alok Choubey and Vijayshankar Tripathi – siphoned off money from the firm’s bank account and forged his signature for illegal acts.
The EOW registered an FIR (of which HT has a copy) for cheating, forgery and criminal conspiracy. However, Akhilesh has termed all allegations baseless. “It’s purely a civil dispute.”
In 2010, Akhilesh offered Pandey an exorbitant profit as returns for investing capital to buy (floor space index) FSI in a Slum Rehabilitation Authority (SRA) project in Dahisar (East).
The complainant alleges that the accused allegedly took money from Pandey through the bank accounts of RA Corporation, a partnership firm of Pandey and Akhilesh. The accused then formed Choubey Realties Private
Limited and Pandey was offered 50% share in the firm. However, Pandey was not made a director.
In his complaint, Pandey alleged that Choubey Realties bought a 2,376 square metre plot in Rawalpada, Dahisar, without informing him. When Pandey confronted Akhilesh, he said procedure to make him director was underway and only after that he could have a say. In May 2012, Pandey was made director, but Akhilesh’s CA Vijayashankar Tripathi was also made director and Pandey’s share in the firm was reduced from 50% to 42%. In 2016, Pandey suspected misuse of company funds and obtained transaction details of the bank account. Pandeysaidtheaccused siphoned off company money by showing fake transactions with different companies and partnership firms belonging to Akhilesh, Alok, Tripathi and their relatives. All transactions were done without informing Pandey. “They have signed various MOUS, joint venture agreements and also issued allotment letters without board approval and my knowledge,” alleged Pandey.
Pandey said on April 29, 2017,, in the Extra Ordinary General Meeting of the company, he and the accused had a heated argument. Pandey left the meeting without signing the attendance register. Akhilesh forged Pandey’s signature and approved the resolution. The same was later used for a development contract with a private firm. Pandey was then removed from the director’s post. Akhilesh, however, claims that Pandey himself left the company when it started facing financial trouble.
“I challenge Pandey and EOW to prove that signature on the minutes (of the meeting) does not belong to him. He has signed in presence of all the directors and staff of the company,” Akhilesh claimed.