Bollywood actress Karishma Tanna's husband Varun Bangera, and actor/TV presenter Samir Kochhar have filed a complaint against a couple involved in a real estate development business. The complaint states that Pronit Nath and Amisha Nath allegedly cheated them out of Rs 1.3 crore.
In his complaint, Samir Kochhar claimed that the individuals, pretending to sell apartments, deceived him of ₹58.50 lakhs. Moreover, they allegedly cheated his friend Varun Bangera of ₹44.66 lakhs. The case, filed on October 21, 2023, involves charges under sections 409 (criminal breach of trust), 420 (cheating and dishonesty), and 120 (B) (criminal conspiracy) of the Indian Penal Code at Andheri police station.
As per the FIR, Samir Kochhar, a businessman putting up in JVPD, Andheri West, along with his wife Radhika Kochhar and friend Varun Bangera, were on the lookout for properties in December 2020. They came across Pronit Nath and Amisha Nath, who planned to construct a four-floor building in Pali Village, Bandra West, intending to sell it later. Upon visiting the site, initially just empty land, the Kochhar couple and Varun Bangera met Pronit Nath, who presented them with a building map outlining their plans. Subsequently, the Kochhar couple decided to purchase a flat on the 3rd floor measuring 660 sq ft, while Bangera opted for a flat on the 4th floor covering 750 sq ft.
Later, during a meeting, Pronit assured them that the land was free of any loans, and the title was clear. The agreed-upon price for the Kochhar's flat was set at ₹1.95 crore, and they paid a token amount of ₹11 lakhs. This payment was made through a cheque issued from HDFC Bank on December 9, 2020. As for the Bangeras, they had previously provided a cheque of ₹19.85 lakhs as a token amount in August 2020.
Later on, the Kochhar couple and Bangera were taken aback to discover that the property they intended to purchase had a loan against it, as Nath had mortgaged the land with a financial company. Despite their frequent inquiries about the construction progress, Nath assured them on June 3, 2022, that the building would be completed within three months. However, the situation took an unexpected turn on June 23, 2023, when Nath informed Kochhar and Bangera via WhatsApp messages that they had decided not to sell the property and intended to retain it for themselves. This came as a shock to the Kochhar couple and Bangera.
The FIR was filed in response to Nath's communication through his lawyers in the high court, where he stated that he had already entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to sell the property to someone else. In an effort to enforce the MOU, Kochhar approached the High Court, seeking directions for Nath to proceed with the agreement. On July 26, Justice Kamal Khata issued a restraining order, preventing Nath from selling the flat to a third party.
Nath contested this decision before a division bench of the High Court. However, on October 5, the bench led by Chief Justice DK Upadhyaya declined to intervene or overturn the single judge's order, which prohibited Nath from transferring ownership of the disputed flat.
