Sonu Walia files complaint against chain of dealers and owners allegedly involved in forging documents to get higher resale values for high-end cars
Actress Sonu Walia. File pic
While buying a second-hand BMW car from a Lokhandwala-based dealer, actress Sonu Walia was not aware she would soon get entangled in a web of car owners and dealers forging documents to get higher resale values on second-hand vehicles. She realised it only when the car, for which she paid Rs 20 lakh, turned out to be a 2000 cc one, instead of 3,000 cc, as mentioned in the documents.
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Good deal? Not really
According to the police, Walia, who lives at Laxmi Nagar, decided to buy a second-hand vehicle in May last year, and asked her brother Vineet Sharma to look for a good deal. Soon after, Sharma came across a 2012 model of 2,993 cc on sale at Mondest Car Dealers in Andheri West. Dealer Anwar Merchant informed him that Rajesh Vanigot, owner of the car, wanted to sell off the vehicle for Rs 20 lakh. They were further informed that the car was in good condition and it had only travelled 16,000 kilometres. A couple of days later the deal was struck and the car delivered to Walia on May 18. At that time she had checked all the documents, including the RC book and insurance papers, and all the details mentioned were correct. However, Walia decided to send it to a BMW authorised centre – Infinity Cars Private Limited – for servicing, as one of the tyres was damaged and the brakes were not working.
Forging documents
This is when the servicing company informed her that the car had a 1,995 cc engine. Sharma said, "When I enquired further about the car's specifications, senior manager of the servicing company, Manish Singh, told me the same. When I called Vanigot regarding this, he said he was not aware of the engine's specifications. He added that he had given the vehicle to a Borivli-based mechanic, who might have changed it. Merchant, too, told me that he was not responsible for this."
He said, "When we checked the vehicle's initial purchase papers, we got to know that last year an Andheri East resident, Rajeshkumar Yadav, had bought the car from Vanigot, after which he realised that it was actually a 1,995 cc one. However, the RC book and insurance papers mention 2,993 cc, as this helps the dealers get higher prices. The resale value of a 1,995 cc car is actually R10 lakh, but they are selling it for double the price." "In this case, the owners of the car, the company from where it was purchased and even the second-hand dealer are involved in cheating us," he added.
Probe on
Speaking on condition of anonymity, an officer from Bangurnagar police station said, "On the complaint of Sonu Walia, we have registered a case under section 420 and 34 of IPC. The car documents have been checked and all the people involved have been questioned. If we find anything suspicious, then action will be taken accordingly."
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