Publication: Times of India Mumbai; Date:2009 Dec 10; Section: Times City; Page Number 5
City Limo chief’s multiple pleas keep cops on toes
C Unnikrishnan I TNN
Mumbai: The Supreme Court on Wednesday dismissed an application filed by City Limouzines chief S M Masood seeking protection from arrest across the country. However, Masood seems to have earned a rare distinction in the city—that of being a white collar accused who has probably filed maximum number of litigations in various courts to prevent himself from being questioned by the police. He had moved several courts as
many as 17 times in the last two years for various reliefs.
Masood once told a police officer, “To solve a problem one has to create multiple problems.’’ “This is what Masood is doing now. We are running from one to court to another to fight against him, ’’ an officer said.
He began approaching courts from September when the Economic Offences Wing (EOW) of the city police registered a FIR against him for cheating an investor Jalandhar Pansare. Sources said that soon six writ petitions were filed in the Bombay high court seeking various reliefs including asking for orders to the police from taking coercive action. In one of the writs, the HC passed an order saying Masood be given 72 hours’ notice before being arrested. He also moved the city civil court saying there should not be any hindrance to his business, which he subsequently withdrew.
Masood filed a seventh petition seeking to get the FIR quashed. The HC ruled in his favour in March saying no case of cheating was made out. The state went in appeal in the Supreme Court, following which the FIR was restored this year.
Once the SC restored the FIR, Masood soon moved the apex court, saying only Pansare’s case should be investigated. This is pending in the SC. In the HC, he also filed a company petition for restructuring the debts. At the orders of the HC, he held a meeting of creditors two months ago, which turned out to be a fiasco. Soon after, he moved the HC again saying all the new FIRs should be clubbed together. He filed another petition to have the new FIRs quashed. He has now filed six transfer petitions in the apex court saying the FIRs registered across the country be shifted to Hyderabad as it’s centrally located.
Meanwhile, he filed an anticipatory bail application in the sessions court, which went on for a month before it was rejected. Soon Masood moved an application in the HC saying he should be given protection from arrest in the cases registered in the state. The HC granted him interim relief till December 11 after he told the court a scheme to liquidate the company’s assets and clear the debts. He then filed another application seeking protection from arrest across the country. The HC on Wednesday adjourned it to Friday after the court was told that he had moved the SC with the same prayers.
0 comments