Acting on a complaint by the State Election Commission, Tilak Nagar police have booked a Ghatkopar-based builder, his two sons and nephew for allegedly pasting a fake MLA sticker on a personal car during the model code of conduct. The poll body approached the police after receiving a complaint from a whistleblower, who alleged that they resorted to trickery to move unaccounted cash. The accused have been identified as builder Chandrakant Gandhi, his sons Ashish and Manish, and nephew Nilesh. However, the quartet managed to secure anticipatory bail to avoid arrest, said a cop.
“A case has been registered against the developer and the Maruti Breeza with the MLA sticker has been seized. Further investigation is underway to ascertain the origin of the MLA sticker used by the accused,” said a senior police official. The Gandhi family is a prominent real estate developer of Ghatkopar with multiple businesses. They are promoters with cross holdings in 14 companies. Gandhi Estates Pvt Ltd, Chandrakant Gandhi and Associates, Chandrakant Gandhi Builders Pvt Ltd are some of their firms.
The police have named Chandrakant as the prime accused since the car is registered in his name. The accused are from the Rajawadi area of Ghatkopar East and also run a firm that supplies boxes to the famed Everest Masala. “The Gandhi family is well-connected to have acquired the high-security stickers on personal vehicles, which are meant only for elected representatives of the state assembly. The unauthorised use of the elected legislature car pass on the windshield is a crime and violation of the Emblem and Names Act and other sections of the Indian Penal Code,” said the police official.
During the election code of conduct, suspicious vehicles are intensively checked by the police and flying squad of the election commission since movement of cash and unaccounted money is the highest in this period, said an election commission official. “The accused used the unauthorised MLA sticker to ensure a free pass since cars of elected representatives are seldom checked unless there is any specific information,” alleged the official.
The Gandhi family remained unavailable for comments.
