Ranbir Kapoor detained at airport, fined Rs 60,000

Actor Ranbir Kapoor was detained at the Mumbai International Airport around 1 am Saturday, and fined Rs 60,000 on undeclared branded goods after nearly 40 minutes of detention. Ranbir, who landed in the city from London, was carrying perfumes, clothes and footwear worth around Rs 1 lakh, when his passport endorsement said he was allowed to bring in goods worth Rs 15,000, an airport customs officer said.

The30-year-old, who arrived on a British Airways flight, was intercepted by the customs officers when he was walking towards the exit through the red channel, which is used by the passengers to declare imported goods. Ranbir, however, was received by a member of his staff near the red channel, and the two were on their way out when they were asked to step aside for luggage inspection.

The customs sources said Ranbir had a minor argument with their staff, and told them he wasn’t aware of the rules. “He was detained for nearly 40 minutes, and fined Rs 60,000 after the valuation of goods,” an officer said. The customs officials are also investigating how the actor’s assistant was allowed to enter the area near the baggage conveyor belts.

Said Sameer Wankhede, deputy commissioner, Mumbai Customs’ air intelligence unit, “Ranbir’s luggage was checked and he was found with branded goods such as perfumes, clothes and footwear worth Rs 1 lakh which he should have declared at the red channel. Common man or celebrities, rules are same for everyone, and they should be aware of those.”

Bipasha Basu, Ameesha Patel and Minissha Lamba, and singer Mika Singh are among the celebrities fined earlier for customs violations.
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Nerul builder held for selling 1 flat to many, hunt on for aide

Navi Mumbai: The Nerul police have arrested a 57-year-old builder for reportedly selling one flat to several buyers. An associate of the accused builder is also likely to be arrested soon.

Bhaskar Thevar had reportedly sold a flat in Leelatai Patil Apartment in Nerul Sector 27 to more than three parties, who have lodged complaints against him. Thevar will remain in police custody till April 26.

Thevar started the fraud when the building was in the construction stage, showing the flat to several people and selling it to them. The building is now complete and one family which bought the disputed flat has already occupied the premises.

“We will also soon arrest Thevar’s aide. They have been booked under the IPC sections 405 (criminal breach of trust), 415 (cheating), 418 (cheating with knowledge that wrongful loss may ensue to person whose interest offender is bound to protect), 420 (punishment for cheating and fraud), and 34 (crime committed with common intention),’’ said assistant police inspector AGosavi.

When asked how the accused could manage to sell the same flat to many, Gosavi said the accused had shown the flat to many parties, and then registered the property in their names at different registration offices in Navi Mumbai.

“We are investigating if officials from the registration offices are also involved. We are anticipating that more victims of this fraud will come forward to complain,’’ said the investigating officer.

Manohar Shroff, Navi Mumbai secretary of Maharashtra Chamber of Housing Industry (MCHI-CREDAI), said: “Such fraud builders are spoiling the name of the entire community of developers.’’

He added: “All seven property registration offices in Navi Mumbai should be computerized so that such frauds can be stopped.’’

Shroff also cautioned buyers, asking them to verify if the building in which they are looking to buy a flat has got a valid occupation certificate.
Courtesy:
Vijay Singh TNN
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TWIST IN THE TALE: Whistleblower arrested for extortion

Mumbai: Dattaram Pedamkar, who complained of a slum redevelopment project coming up on a plot owned by Nehru Science Centre, was arrested last week by the Tardeo police on charges of extortion. Pedamkar (45), a resident of Mariamma Nagar in Worli, allegedly demanded Rs 20,000 from a Haji Ali hawker Iqbal Shaikh.

Pedamkar was produced before the 4th Girgaum metropolitan magistrate and remanded in police custody till February 9. But in the court, Shaikh filed an affidavit, saying he never made any allegations against Pedamkar.

“Shaikh is an illiterate man. Tardeo police misled him into signing a complaint. We have brought this to the notice of the court but when the latter did not take any cognizance, we filed a writ petition in the high court, saying police registered a bogus case against my client,’’ said Pedamkar’s advocate Yusuf Khan.

Senior inspector of Tardeo police Ajinder Thakur said, “I don’t know why Shaikh retracted the complaint. We filed the FIR on the basis of his complaint in November. Shaikh may be under pressure to withdraw the complaint.’’

Cops alleged that Pedamkar is an extortionist as there are cases against him. But his lawyer alleged that he has been framed because he filed a complaint against a senior officer in the SRA project.

In January, Pedamkar had lodged a complaint in court against former SRA chief Debashish Chakraborty, builder Akshay Sthapatya, his architect Pravin Naik and six others, including SRA officers who had approved the Mariamma Nagar slum scheme, adjoining the National Sports Complex. Pedamkar said he learned of this when the Nehru Science Centre, in response to his query under the Right to Information Act in 2011, said they had not granted any no-objection certificate. They have been charged with cheating, forgery, breach of trust and projecting false documents as true.

Pravin Naik said Nehru Centre owns the plot. “There was a consent term between Nehru Centre and Akshay Sthapatya to construct a building on the corner of the plot measuring 2233.76 sq m. “Accordingly, construction plan was approved by SRA in which 15% of the area was agreed to be given to Nehru Centre, so all Pedamkar’s allegations are false. Nehru Centre has given NOC for the SRA project.’’
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S Ahmed Ali TNN
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