Court accepts ED closure report in cheating, forgery case

Indian Express

3 days ago

A special court accepted a closure report filed by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in a case against a realtor who had been facing allegations of cheating and forgery to avail a transfer of development rights worth Rs 30 crore.
The ED case filed against the realtor and two others was closed by the court, following the closure of the case filed on the same issue by the Economic Offences Wing (EOW). The EOW and ED has filed a case against Ghatkopar based realtor Mukesh Mehta and two others, Hirji Kenia and Jitendra Makda.
The EOW, and later the ED, found that the case resulted out of a misunderstanding with the complainant, whose father was part of the same real estate firm as the accused. The agency also submitted to the court that a Memorandum of Understanding was signed by the parties in 2021 and said that no forgery had taken place.
The court in its order on August 4 said that since the EOW has filed a closure report and the complainant too has given a no objection, the ED's plea for closing the case can be accepted. The allegations against the three accused – one of whom, Kenia, died pending trial – were that they were part of a real estate firm involved in construction work.
In 1972, the firm had acquired a prime plot in Oshiwara area of Andheri in the name of one of the partners on behalf of the firm. The complaint alleged that the three accused had sold off the property without consent of the other remaining partners in the firm and also evaded stamp duty. The accused were also alleged of having sold the Floor Space Index of the property and cheated the others to the tune of Rs 30 crore. The ED had launched a probe under money laundering against the accused.