Mumbai: Film producer Ajay Kapoor and his wife have been granted interim protection from arrest by a Mumbai sessions court in a cheating case over alleged non-payment of renovation and regularisation expenses for a Santacruz building.
Complainant Mohit Bhartiya claimed he was appointed as development manager by the builder and members of Khushi Pride Belmondi Building after the BMC issued a notice to the property in 2022. According to him, a signed agreement transferred ownership of the building's first floor to him with the consent of all condominium members. It also allegedly provided that expenses incurred by him would be shared proportionately by the apartment owners.
Bhartiya said he spent nearly Rs 50 crore on the project. Of this, he claimed the Kapoor family's share towards regularisation expenses was ₹5.83 crore, while their proportionate share of ₹43.87 crore spent on renovation, repairs and civil works came to ₹8.09 crore. He alleged the Kapoors failed to pay these amounts, and he subsequently lodged a complaint with the Economic Offences Wing.
Fearing arrest, the Kapoors approached the sessions court seeking anticipatory bail. They argued that Bhartiya had failed to produce documentary evidence showing that the claimed expenditure had actually been incurred or that they had authorised him to undertake such massive expenses on their behalf.
The Kapoors also contended that the matter was essentially a civil dispute, not a criminal offence. Pending further hearing, the sessions court directed the police not to take any coercive action.
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