Mumbai: A metropolitan magistrate's court in Mulund has released a non-bailable arrest warrant for Rajeev Jain, director of Nirmal Lifestyle, a real estate firm, for continuously disregarding court summons in a fraud case. The court has likewise deemed the senior inspector of Mulund police accountable for failing to execute previous warrants and for not providing any compliance report.
The court noted that even after a bailable warrant was issued on January 28, the accused did not show up in court, and the investigating officer did not provide any explanation. No report submitted; the magistrate claims investigating officer failed to follow court order.
The problem originates from a grievance lodged by Juliana D’Souza, an elderly woman who reserved an apartment in a Nirmal Lifestyle development in Kalyan in 2016. D’Souza mentioned that the project was stuck, resulting in hundreds of flats not being provided to their owners. In 2024, she came forward to the court with assistance from Melwyn Fernandes, a social activist based in Thane. After her complaint, a cheating case was registered against Jain under the Maharashtra Ownership of Flats Act (MOFA), 1963.
In Bihar, young men assault train passengers for social media notoriety and are now incarcerated. Her attorney, advocate Sunita Banis, submitted a petition on May 14, 2024, alleging Jain's 'intentional non-compliance' and requested the court to issue a non-bailable warrant for him. Banis’ submission highlighted that D’Souza was at risk and had experienced serious difficulties, including homelessness, as a direct result of the defendant’s illegal actions.
The court observed that the defendant was postponing the case, that no police report had been presented, and therefore issued a show cause notice, requesting the senior inspector to justify his actions. The issue is now scheduled for another hearing on August 14.
