Santacruz tower builder sent to EOW custody till December 6

MUMBAI: A metropolitan magistrate on Tuesday remanded builder Jitendra Jain to police custody till December 6 in a case of forgery and cheating over 30 buyers in a residential tower his firm, Kamlashri Builders, is constructing in Santacruz west.
The Economic offences wing (EOW) of Mumbai police had arrested the 37-year-old Andheri resident on Monday evening and produced him before additional chief metropolitan magistrate Avinash Kulkarni on Tuesday.Last week, the Bombay high court had directed the EOW to investigate “fabricated commencement certificate (CC) till 17th floor” for the building called Shimmer. The EOW last Saturday recorded the complaint, as directed.
The complaint accused him of criminal conspiracy, forgery, cheating alleging that he also failed to give flats to buyers despite collecting over Rs 60 crore from them since 2009. After buyers moved the HC, the civic body informed the court that the CC was till the fifth floor while its former architect said it was only till the stilt level.
On Tuesday, the magistrate asked: “How was it that despite having a CC only till the fifth floor, he constructed further?” The building has 14 floors at present. His lawyer Kushal Mor said “everything was as per sanctioned plans”. He said the BMC had lost files pertaining to the building.
Seeking a 14-day police custody, prosecutor Taher Trimbakwala said the EOW needs to interrogate and get information on the conspiracy and conspirators and recover Rs 60 crore. “Jain cheated buyers by falsely representing that he had permission to build beyond the fifth floor. He sold two flats to more than one buyer each,’’ said Rajendra Pardeshi, police inspector of EOW in the remand plea.
The magistrate did not agree with his lawyer and granted a week-long custody to the EOW.