A court in Mumbai extended the police custody of Rajendra Lodha, a former director on the board of Lodha Developers (erstwhile Macrotech Developers), to September 29, after his arrest on September 17 and police custody till September 23. Lodha was arrested by Mumbai Police based on a first information report filed by the company alleging forgery, criminal breach of trust, and criminal conspiracy, among other charges. A relative of the promoters of Lodha Group led by Mangal Prabhat Lodha, Rajendra Lodha was responsible for land acquisition for real estate projects, according to sources.
Rajendra Lodha resigned as director of Lodha Developers in August, with the company notifying exchanges that his conduct and time at the company remained under investigation by an ethics committee. The developer filed the FIR against ten individuals, including Rajendra Lodha and his son Sahil, on September 15.
In its plea to the Esplanade Court in Mumbai seeking the extension of Rajendra's police custody, the police argued that his custody was needed to seek more details from him about transactions involving 'benami' companies that have been alleged to be linked to him and his associates, tracing 'gold bars' that he is alleged to have received from an associate, and also seek a forensic audit of the Rs 49 crore that Rajendra is said to have sent to his son Sahil.
Seven statements from witnesses have been recorded before the magistrate, with lawyers involved in the case saying that around 25 witnesses have provided statements to police. Rajendra's driver testified that his employer transferred large sums of money to another accused in the case, Nitin Vador. The driver also testified that he had picked up cash from various locations and handed it over to Rajendra.
Charges against the ten have been filed under various sections, ranging from cheating, criminal breach of trust, forgery, and criminal conspiracy, according to the FIR registered.
In the FIR, Lodha detailed allegations against the ten about bogus land transactions and the use of 'benami' companies owned by him or his associates; selling some of the company's properties and transferable development rights (TDR) at below-market rates; selling Lodha-owned land at low prices and buying them back for the company at market prices; and reselling land to Lodha that it already bought, "misusing" power-of-attorney privileges.
The company also alleged large cash movements in some of the transactions in question by Rajendra and his associates.
The charges have been filed under various sections of the Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita, such as 316(5), 336(3), and 61(2). If convicted, the persons named in the FIR face decades in prison, according to legal experts.
Discover the latest Business News, Sensex, and Nifty updates. Obtain Personal Finance insights, tax queries, and expert opinions on Moneycontrol or download the Moneycontrol App to stay updated!
Find the best of Al News in one place, specially curated for you every weekend.
Stay on top of the latest tech trends and biggest startup news.
