Mumbai: Bandra CHS committee members booked for extortion

Sea Heaven society located at Bandra West

The Bandra police have booked five committee members of a housing society at Bandra for allegedly extorting money under the pretext of issuing no objection certificates (NOC) to purchase flats. The committee members also demanded money towards expenses for painting the housing society.

An FIR has been registered against Afzal Kaji (chairman), Asgar Jaffery (treasurer), Aslam Mukhtar (secretary), and management committee members Akhtar Jaffery and Salim Aslam Mukhtar of Sea Heaven society located in Bandra West.

The complainant Muffazal Lehri, 71, is a book distributor and publisher. He had met the committee members in the society compound in July 2022 along with flat owners as he wanted to buy flat number 201 in the society. Lehri had requested the society to issue an NOC and also gave a letter in order to obtain a bank loan to purchase the flat. He also asked for a share transfer certificate to be issued to him.

Muffazal Lehri, complainant

However, the society committee members demanded that Lehri pay for the paint expenses of the society to get the share certificate and NOC. The committee members also told him that he would not receive the necessary documents until he paid for the paint.

Lehri and Sahil Badri (flat owner) went to a paint shop on August 1, 2022, and bought paint worth R4.29 lakh which was sent to the society. Lehri told the police that the bill for the paint was issued in the name of the society.

According to Lehri's statement to the police, the committee members issued an NOC to him on September 15, 2022. In October 2022, he bought flat number 201. However, despite several requests, no share certificates were transferred to Lehri or his son by the society committee members. Finally, Lehri informed the Bandra police and filed a complaint.

"We have registered an FIR under Sections 384 (pertaining to extortion) and 34 (common intent) of the Indian Penal Code against the chairman of the society, the treasurer, and two committee members. We will soon call them for their statements," said a police officer.

Speaking with mid-day Lehri said, "This is extortion by the society committee members. They demanded the paint expenses in the presence of the flat seller. There were three owners of the flat present during the meeting. We decided to give the paint expenses to the society in exchange for the NOC. We also received the NOC and we transferred the flat."

According to Lehri, the committee members then demanded R3.5 lakh towards the cost of painting the premises for the share certificates. "I finally decided to approach the police and registered an FIR. This is pure corruption and it should be stopped in every society. We are paying the transfer fees for the flat and also maintenance costs. The committee members don't have any right to demand any money for any work to transfer the flat or NOC," Lehri said.

He added that he has requested the police to take due action and arrest the accused for extorting money from flat buyers.

Rs 4.29lakh
Amount that was paid to procure paint for the society