ED restrained from dishousing film producer

MUMBAI: The Bombay high court came to the aid of film producer Sandeep Arora and temporarily prevented the Enforcement Directorate from dishousing him from his residence in Mumbai.
The ED had sent Arora a notice to dehouse him from Wispering Palms, his residence in the suburbs, following an attachment notice being confirmed three months ago. But Arora’s counsel Aabad Ponda argued that the ED’s action amounted to "harassment" as it sought to pursue and act on an attachment that was confirmed by the authority three months ago."They want to move in the vacation just to harass him," said Ponda adding that the ED could wait, if it had waited this long.
The HC vacation bench of justices R K Deshpande and V L Achliya who heard Arora’s plea and the additional public prosecutor A A Mane issued notice to the agency for final disposal of the matter. The HC posted the matter to June 16 and granted the interim relief to Arora.
With the HC order, the ED cannot take into possession any of Arora’s properties till further orders from the HC.
Last October, the ED had seized properties of the film producer, Arora, who had allegedly cheated the UK government by claiming bogus tax returns a few years ago.
It was the first time in the recent past that the ED seized properties in India on the request of a foreign nation under the mutual legal assistance treaty.
The case against Arora was that his company, Fine Tune, had claimed a tax return from the UK government under a special scheme meant to promote documentary films on social and cultural issues. He claimed the money as returns for documentaries he never made, said an officer. He further claimed more returns after producing forged documents to show he had produced the documentaries.
Arora then brought the money to India through legal channel. When the UK government learnt of the alleged fraud, it started investigation against him. On inquiry, they learnt that Arora had shifted to India with the money.
The ED Mumbai traced Arora and the alleged money trail. They recorded Arora's statement, seized a flat, bank accounts and his policies.