Mumbai: The special MPID court has rejected the discharge plea of a 57-year-old Chembur resident booked in a cheating case involving mill workers, who were duped of Rs 4.44 crore in 2017 on the false promise of cheaper housing.
Investors Duped With Forged Documents
According to the prosecution, Nilesh Balkrushna Thakur and his wife, Shraddha, lured nearly 29 people by offering them houses at the Swadeshi Mill complex. The accused allegedly used forged documents to convince investors.
Naik’s Alleged Role In Conspiracy
One of the accused, Bharat Naik, a resident of Chembur, had rented a room from Mangala Virkar and, in conspiracy with Nilesh, purportedly sold it to an investor using a forged leave and licence agreement. Shraddha reportedly transferred Rs 3.5 lakh from the deal into Naik’s account.
Defence Claims Innocence
Naik’s lawyer argued that he never induced or received money directly from investors and was implicated only because of his friendship with Nilesh. He further claimed the Rs 3.5 lakh was repayment of a personal transaction. Shraddha, however, maintained it was part of the crime proceeds.
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Court Cites Clear Involvement
Rejecting his plea, the court said, “The applicant’s role is specifically mentioned in the FIR. He was well connected with Nilesh, and they had collected money from investors and sold land at Titwala.”
