A Navi Mumbai-based financial consultant was allegedly framed and tortured by a cop at the behest of a Nagpur-based builder
A Navi Mumbai-based financial consultant was allegedly framed and tortured by a cop at the behest of a Nagpur-based builder
A Navi Mumbai-based financial consultant filed a criminal petition in Bombay High Court against an Assistant Police Inspector (API) of Nerul police station on Thursday for allegedly framing him in a fraud case at the behest of a Nagpur-based businessman. The policeman also reportedly tortured him while in police custody.
Avinash Mishra
According to the 37 year-old petitioner Avinash Mishra, who runs a company called A And A Associates in Navi Mumbai, a Nagpur-based businessman got in touch with him on August 15, 2009, and asked him to arrange for a loan of Rs 100 crore. Mishra arranged for the loan through a number of private banks within a fortnight.
One of the banks, which is based in Nagpur, issued a letter offering a loan to the businessman, following which he sent a demand draft of Rs 2 crore (2 per cent of the loan amount) to Mishra as his processing and valuation fees. However, before Mishra could encash the demand draft, he had cancelled it.
Before the financial consultant could recover from the shock, he received a legal notice from a Nagpur court stating that since he does not have a licence, he cannot facilitate such loans.
The Nagpur-based bank submitted a report (copy in possession of Sunday MiDDAY) to the local court holding the businessman guilty of fraud after which he registered a complaint with Home Minister RR Patil, accusing Mishra of cheating him.
Having received directions from the Home Minister, the then Assistant Commissioner of Navi Mumbai Police MS Jadhav conducted an enquiry and submitted a report on March 18, 2010 (copy in possession of Sunday MiDDAY), stating that the businessman should be charged of cheating, while Mishra was innocent.
However, the entrepreneur allegedly continued to harass Mishra. According to Mishra, when he complained about the harassments to Assistant Police Inspector (API) of Nerul police station Chandrakant Landge on two occasions (September 19, 2009, and November 14, 2009), the official refused to show interest.
Also, according to Mishra, Landge arrested him at the behest of the businessman on May 23 this year.
Mishra in his petition also alleged that Landge and a local goon Sajir Khan made him pay a bribe of Rs 1.5 lakh, so that he was not tortured in jail. "I paid Rs 1.5 lakh to Landge to not beat me and allow me to take medicines on time (for diabetes)," said Mishra.
However, according to him the bribe did not help, as Langde not only beat him, but also took Khan's help to harass his family members.
While Mishra was in prison, his 58 year-old father Rakesh Narayan Mishra, who is a heart patient, was allegedly physically assaulted and asked to convince his son to "settle the matter" with the businessman. Landge reportedly sent out-of-court settlement papers for his signature to Taloja jail on June 15, 2011.
Unable to handle the torture and stress, Mishra was admitted to Ashirwad Hospital in Navi Mumbai on September 26, 2011. "Mishra is under my treatment. He is suffering from reactive depression," confirmed Dr Kavita Vaidya.
While he has been out on bail since July 29, 2011, Mishra is waiting for a reaction from authorities, after he sent complaints (copy available with Sunday MiDDAY) to the President, Prime Minister's Office, Union Home Minister, Chief Minister, State Home Minister (Maharashtra) and the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Sushma Swaraj.
When contacted, Langde said, "I can't understand why he is playing games with me. I did nothing wrong. I arrested him after receiving a complaint. He has cheated someone." Meanwhile, the Bombay High Court on Friday asked Landge to be present in court to defend himself.
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