Mumbai: The special PMLA court last week ordered to release bungalow, owned by Deepak Kulkarni founder of DSK group and his Hemanti Kulkarni owing to allegations of theft of all the material from windows to alliance due to lack of protection from Enforcement Directorate in Rs 1,129.46 Crores money laundering allegations against the group.
While conditionally releasing the property to Kulkarnis’ the special judge AC Daga said, “It appears that from time to time it was reported to the Court that in the attached property, there has been theft and its value is being diminishing as no security is provided by the Enforcement Directorate. It is important to note that at this juncture, the accused is not claiming for removal of the attachment and only wants possession of the property, so that he can reside in it and maintain the property which will save its value.”
Hence the court said that though the property is handed over to the couple, the probe agency ED would be having a notional possession of the property. Further the couple is asked to maintain the property till the end of the trial or till further orders from the court.
The agency had in March 2018, attached all the properties of the family which also included the bungalow in which the family was residing. However, after the attachment of the property, the Kulkarnis’ in their plea filed through Viral Babar and Chinmay Inamdar had claimed that all the furniture and fixtures had been stolen.
The couple claimed that the property was attached by ED and was under their possession. They claimed that it was the duty of the agency to protect the property but it has been looted by the thieves. The couple has claimed that presently every Home Appliances including Tv, Fridge, Air Conditioners has been stolen by the thieves which caused crores of rupees loss. Besides, it is claimed that doors, Grills, Windows have been broken/stolen from the said residence by thieves but ED did not take any proper legal action in this regard.
It has been alleged that the plot was purchased in April 1995 and the construction began only in January 2001. Thereafter only in April 2009, the Pune granted completion certificate.
The family had claimed that the bungalow was built decades before the alleged cases of cheating took place from their hard-earned money. Thus, they claimed it would not come under the ambits of properties purchased using proceeds of crime.
The couple hence sought that the property has to be released to them assuring the court that they would not create any third-party interest in the said property pending the case.
