Mumbai Crime: Actor accuses 'producer' of thrashing and robbing him

Bollywood actor Surendra Verma alias Tinu Verma has filed a case against a producer named Samik Basu and three others for allegedly assaulting and robbing him in Jogeshwari on Tuesday Verma said Basu owes him R3 lakh and he was attacked when he tried to trail himThe Amboli police have registered a case and are yet to make any arrestsVerma told midday that Basu first approached him on July 15 last year with an offer for a web series titled Raj Rani and said it would be telecast on Netflix He said he never knew Basu before I agreed to work as an action director and actorrdquo said VermaThe owners of the Borivli flat also accused Basu of cheating themBasu met Verma at Royal Palm on July 21 and said the shooting would be done in Rajasthan The same day he told me that his money had got stuck and he urgently needed Rs 3 lakh cash to be paid to Netflixrdquo Verma said The actor paid Basu who shared copies of his PAN card Aadhaar card passport and four addresses and promised to return the money in a weekWhen Baus did not pay back Verma visited Royal Palm I showed Basus photograph to security guards and grocery shopkeepers to know if they had seen him there but my efforts went in vainrdquo said Verma adding ldquoHe would always tell me that the cash has been transferred to my account But my account was never creditedrdquoAll the addresses given by Basu turned out to be fake He learnt through a real estate broker that Basu lived in a bungalow at Royal PalmldquoI visited his house and his wife Piyali bought a week to return the money After waiting for more than a month I filed a noncognisable complaint against Basu at Aarey police stationrdquo said VermaAfter learning about the NC Basu stopped taking Vermas calls said an officer attached to Amboli police station ldquoBasu discreetly shifted his belongings from Royal Palm to Borivali on January 12 midnightrdquo he saidVerma said he tried to meet Basu at his Borivli flat but was not allowed He found out that Basu was shifting to another place on February 15 When I was chasing him that night Basu and his three associates intercepted my vehicle on SV Road and thrashed me They snatched my gold chain and expensive wristwatchrdquo said VermaAn officer from Amboli police said they are checking the veracity of Vermas claimsHowever there are more allegations of cheating against Basu Versha Bhagve the owner of the Borivli flat said Basu never paid rent on time and his cheques bounced A threat to file a case had no effect on Basu said the ownerldquoBasu had told me that he worked in Sony Media entertainment I thought he was a good professional but he started to harass us by not giving us rent This was shockinghelliprdquo said BhagveThe owner of Basursquos Royal Palm house Kamal Sharma also said he is yet to receive R196 rent from Basu