MUMBAI: Actor and stand-up Kapil Sharma told ED that the car designer Dilip Chhabria, who is suspected of defrauding other celebrities, attempted to place the blame for the non-delivery of a customized vehicle he ordered on him and used illicit means to obtain money from him.
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The chargesheet that the Enforcement Directorate (ED) filed against Chhabria in connection with a money laundering case includes the statement that Mohammed Hamid, Sharma's authorized representative, made.
On Wednesday, a special PMLA court hearing the case took cognizance of the chargesheet and summons Chhabria and the other six accused parties. On February 26, they are expected to appear before it.
Three FIRs against the accused, including one that Sharma filed for cheating, form the basis of the ED case. The actor's manager told the ED that Sharma the only owner of K9 Productions had contacted Chhabria about buying a customized vanity van in December 2016.
Following that, he added, an agreement was executed in March 2017 by K9 Productions and Dilip Chhabria Design Private Limited (DCDPL) for the delivery of a customized vanity van for Rs 4.5 crore (taxes excluded).
The statement stated that Sharma's production house paid Rs 5.31 crore (including taxes) by the terms that were agreed upon. Hamid stated that neither the promised vanity van nor any financial reimbursement had been given to Sharma by DCDPL.
When Hamid visited the car designer's Pune facility to inspect the vanity van, Chhabria informed him that all of the inside materials had been purchased and stored in a warehouse. This was in response to Hamid's question concerning the reason behind the delay in the project. According to the actor's agent, Chhabria discussed his stressed financial situation and need for money.
A later quotation for Rs 54,20,800 was issued by Chhabria to Sharma along with an ask for funds for the vehicle's delivery.
Sharma became doubtful due to the abrupt request for more money. According to the statement, Chhabria acted aggressively when asked if he intended to demand money from the actor. The accused started interacting with Sharma by mail, allegedly falsely accusing him of failing to inspect the vanity van promptly and stating this as the reason the vehicle was not delivered.
The actor's representative stated in the statement that Sharma took legal action after spotting his attempt to cheat and sent a notice of recovery to the car designer's company on April 18, 2019. It was stated that Chhabria, however, used a number of illicit methods to obtain money from Sharma, including charging random parking fees for the vanity van that never arrived and applying for a loan for a sister concern, Mis DC Motor Works Pvt Ltd, to pay vendors.
Following that, Sharma summoned Chhabria and his associates to the police, according to the statement. The Enforcement Department (ED) said that the accused people and the company had intentionally engaged in illicit activities for personal benefit, causing losses to every complainant "to the tune of Rs 18 crore," which it referred to as the proceeds of crime.
The ED said that the money was either directly or indirectly credited to the bank accounts of the named company, citing evidence of money trails. The ED said, "Money trails demonstrate that prime accused Chhabria laundered the proceeds of crime through illicit means."
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Credit- Free Press Journal
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