Mumbai: Days after comedian Kapil Sharma met Mumbai Police Commissioner Param Bir Singh regarding his complaint of cheating against car designer Dilip Chhabria, Mumbai Police on Monday arrested Chhabria for allegedly duping Sharma to the tune of Rs 5.7 crore.
The money was allegedly accepted as a payment for a vanity van which is yet to be delivered to Sharma. Police said that they had received at least six similar complaints against Chhabria recently, which they were currently verifying.
The Criminal Intelligence Unit (CIU), which is investigating the case, informed the Esplanade Court on Monday about the offence of cheating registered against Chhabria and sought the court's permission for his custody. Chhabria had been in judicial custody after he was arrested in an alleged car loan scam recently. Following the court's permission, the CIU arrested Chhabria and he will be produced before the court on Tuesday.
According to police, Sharma had placed an order for a vanity van with Chhabria's DC Designs Pvt Ltd in 2017, paying Rs 5.3 crore. A year later, Sharma again paid Rs 40 lakh as Goods and Service Tax (GST). However, he did not receive the van. After realising something was amiss, Sharma, in 2019 moved the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) against DC Designs. Following a primary enquiry, the NCLT seized the company's account.
According to police, Chhabria then asked for an additional Rs 60 lakh for delivery of the van but Sharma refused to pay. Chhabria then sent him a bill for over Rs 1 crore as parking charges for vehicle parts as well. In September 2020, Sharma approached the Economic Offences Wing (EOW) of Mumbai police and lodged his complaint.
According to Sharma, when he heard of the recent arrest of Chhabria by Mumbai Police in a car financing case, he decided to meet the Mumbai CP regarding his complaint.
In the last week of December, the Mumbai crime branch arrested Chhabria and claimed that he had been allegedly procuring loans on his 'DC Avanti' cars from multiple non-banking financial institutions after registering them in different states. Mumbai Police suspect that the fraudulent car loans amount to more than Rs 40 crore in all.
