Bhavsar Couple Seeks Delhi High Court Intervention To Quash Gurugram FIR In Alleged Cheating Case

A doctor couple from Bhavsar, Gujarat, has approached the Delhi High Court seeking the quashing of the FIR filed against them by a Gurugram -based ayurvedic company that alleged the couple of cheating. The couple initiated a settlement and refunded the amount after the company filed the case at the Economic Offence Wing (EOW) of Gurugram. However, the FIR has not been withdrawn due to the committed fraud. The case, initially reported by the Free Press Journal, prompted the accused couple to approach the company for settlement.

The couple recently faced legal consequences when the EOW of Gurugram arrested them in connection with a cheating and forgery case. Subsequently, they were granted bail. The arrest followed the filing of an FIR by the director of a Gurugram-based ayurvedic company against Dr Bhushan Bhavsar and Dr Manjiri Bhavsar, who posed as directors of Herbal Consultants Pvt Ltd, a Mumbai-based company. The couple managed to extract Rs 38 lakh from the company's owner but failed to fulfill their promises.

In response, the company took legal action, filing a case against the couple on October 19, 2023. The charges include sections 420 (cheating and forgery), 467 (forgery), 468 (forgery for the purpose of cheating), 471 (forged document), and 120B (conspiracy) of the Indian Penal Code.

The FIR revealed that the ayurvedic company sought assistance with the conceptualisation, marketing, and distribution of their new herbal products. They discovered a website, https://herbal-consultants.com, which purported to offer these services. Contacting the provided phone number, they engaged with the couple, who proposed a formal plan encompassing product development, marketing strategy, branding, content development, and clinical trials.

The total amount agreed upon was Rs 50.79 lakh of which Rs 37.57 lakh was paid to the couple. However, the couple failed to deliver on time, revealing their misleading assurances about the project's status. In April 2023, the complainant traveled to Mumbai to meet with the Bhavsars, but the promised meeting did not take place as agreed.

According to the Samata Nagar police, when Gurugram police arrived at Dr Bhushan’s residence at Gundecha Trillium in Thakur Village on October 20, the couple locked themselves in their flat, attempting to evade arrest for several hours. A court order was necessary for the police to forcibly enter the flat, leading to the apprehension of the duo, who were subsequently placed in custody. A transit remand was obtained from the Borivali court to present them before the Gurugram court, where they were later remanded in judicial custody.