In a setback for actor Preity Zinta, the Bombay High Court has ordered her to pay dues of around Rs 1.19 crore to a developer firm to whom she sold her three flats situated in a posh society in suburban Khar. The court even dismissed her plea that challenged the handing over of the shares of these flats to the developer firm.
A bench of Justices Shahrukh Kathawalla and Vinay Joshi was seized with a plea filed by Zinta that challenged the orders of a single-judge bench of the court. The single-judge bench, while dealing with the suit filed by Ace Housing and Construction Limited (AHCL) against Zinta, had ordered the society to hand over the shares of the three flats in question to the developer firm.
As per AHCL, it had signed a deed of transfer with Zinta for three of her flats on the 10th floor of Quantum Park building in Khar west. The actress had sold the flats for an amount of over Rs 7.13 crore. She was paid the total amount in two installments. She had also signed the documents as per the society's bye-laws to transfer her flats' shares to AHCL.
As per AHCL, Zinta was supposed to furnish a ‘no dues letter’ by closing the loan account she had availed by mortgaging the flats. The actress before Justice Kathawalla, while admitting that she has received the sale amount and also signed the transfer of shares, objected to handing over the same documents to the entity.
Having heard the contentions, the judges noted, "AHCL purchased the flats under the registered deeds of transfer and has paid valuable consideration to the tune of Rs.7,12,59,800 to the Zintas. The Zintas have admitted the receipt of the entire sale consideration and they stand by the sale transaction."
"In furtherance to the deeds of transfer, the Zintas have also signed share transfer forms in favour of AHCL. The share certificates, therefore, must be handed over to the firm. We are of the view that Zintas cannot take advantage of their own wrong," the judges said while dismissing Zinta's plea.
