Judicial custody for fraud builder who collapsed in Pune lock-up

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Within hours of being remanded in police custody for a week, Pune-based bui­lder and developer DS Kulkarni collapsed in the lock-up and was rushed to Sassoon General Hospital. Looking at his condition, when his lawyer moved an application in the Holiday Court on Sunday seeking judicial custody, the court approved it, following which he was shifted to a private hospital.

On October 28, 2017, the Shivaji Nagar police booked Kulkarni, his wife Hemanti and son Shirish after 4,020 investors complained that he had allegedly duped them of R485 crore. An FIR was filed against them under relevant sections of the IPC and some sections of the Maharashtra Protection of Interest of Depositors Act. Though earlier the Bombay High Court had given him interim anticipatory bail, on Friday, it ordered his arrest.

DCP Pankaj Dahane said, "Around 5 am on Saturday, Kulkarni and his family were arrested from a hotel in New Delhi and brought to Pune. They were produced in court, which remanded them to police custody. But, after Kulkarni collapsed in the lock-up, his lawyer filed an application seeking judicial custody, which got accepted. He was shifted to Deenanath Mangeshkar Hospital."
Kulkarni's lawyer said, "My client is cooperating in the investigation. As both he and his wife are senior citizens, they are not keeping well."

Meanwhile, the assistant public prosecutor argued, "The Kulkarnis are notorious people, as they have duped many investors. It's important to keep them in police custody for probe."

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