Builder asked to pay Rs 2 lakh for wasting cops' time, public money

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With the Bombay High Court quashing two FIRs registered in a case of non-payment of loans, controversial builder Pujit Aggarwal has finally managed to get some relief. Even though trial in other cases against him is pending, the court asked him to pay Rs 2 lakh to the state police welfare fund, for wasting their time and public money. However, all of this happened after the complainants in both the cases withdrew the FIRs following settlement of the dues.

According to the police, the EOW had arrested Aggarwal, CEO of Orbit Construction in 2016 for cheating maritime logistics magnet Taro Vazirani of Rs 2.5 crore. In 2010, Aggarwal had borrowed the money from Vazirani. In 2012, the accused had given cheques to Vazirani to repay the loan, but all of them bounced. Subsequently, the complainant was allotted a flat on the 52nd floor of an under-construction building in Lower Parel.

But soon he got to know that the building did not have the required permission. Following this, on September 19, 2016, Vazirani filed a complaint against Aggarwal at Gamdevi police station. Days later, the accused was arrested in a different case.

In another case, Aggarwal had cheated Ayush Bagla and his firm - Paradigm Finance - of Rs 2 crore. The company had filed a case against him in 2015 after the cheques he gave them for repayment bounced. Both the cases were transferred to the EOW. A source said, "During the course of trial, Orbit Construction settled the dues of both complainants. Then it moved court for quashing of the FIRs. The HC accepted it and gave the final order on January 29."

"When Mid-day reached out to Senior Advocate Ashok Mundargi who represented Poojit Aggarwal he replied, "Both the FIR was result of the bad market condition. Now we have settled the dues with the lenders and had urged court to quash the matter. Court has agreed to it". Vishal Manghnani, from Wishman Consultants, firm which represented both the complainants replied, ‘Justice is served'."

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