Mumbai: A media firm has filed a case with the BKC police against a developer and his subsidiary firm for cheating it on the pretext of redeveloping Bandra's Nargis Dutt Nagar slum. The matter dates back to 2016 when Sanjeev Khandelwal, 59, who owns V7Even Media and Communication Private Ltd, met Ajaz Khan, the owner of Rushan Promoters and Developers.
The real estate firm had undertaken the redevelopment project titled Bandra reclamation SRA cooperative housing society.
Redevelopment plan hits roadblock
According to Khan, the plan couldn't take off due to financial and other issues. He then offered V7Even Media a partnership in the project, which Khandelwal accepted, and a contract was signed between them in October 2016. As per the agreement, 95% of the shares belonged to V7Even Media and Communication, 4% to Khan's firm, and the remaining 1% went to Meher Khan, the second accused who helmed the developer's subsidiary firm.
In 2017, V7Even Media conducted surveys in Nargis Dutt Nagar, collected biometric signatures and initiated the process of securing government permissions. In July 2018, Khandelwal spotted a newspaper ad which said that a third party, Roshani Developers, had entered into a contract with Rushan Promoters and Developers for the same project. A confused Khandelwal sent legal notices to Roshani Developers and also notified Khan's firm, but there was no response.
Khan inked a contract with Roshani Developers
Through a query filed under the Right to Information Act, the complainant found that Khan had previously inked a contract with Roshani Developers, but the deal hadn't materialised due to want of government permissions. Khandelwal has also formally requested the Slum Redevelopment Authority to cancel the letter of intent issued to Roshani Developers.
On October 27, a case was filed against Ajaz and Meher under sections 120B (criminal conspiracy), 406 (breach of trust) and 420 (cheating and dishonestly) of the Indian Penal Code.
