Mumbai: In a serious development concerning Torres massive financial fraud case, a Social Activist Shashikant Kawale has called for action against police officers who allegedly neglected their duty despite receiving prior warnings about fraudulent activities. 

Social Activist Shashikant Kawale wrote a letter addressed to senior law enforcement authorities, including the Commissioners of Mumbai and Navi Mumbai Police, the Maharashtra Cyber Crime Department, the Economic Offences Wing, and the Enforcement Directorate, has raised serious questions about the delay in action against fraudulent companies operating in Mumbai and surrounding areas. The letter highlights gross negligence by responsible officers despite early warnings regarding Torres Scam.

Whistle Blower Flags Concerns

The Whistle blower Shashikant Kawale had previously flagged concerns, urging the authorities to investigate the legality of these companies’ operations, government-issued licenses, mandates, board of directors, and operational documents. Specifically, the letter called for a detailed probe into the working methods and financial inflows/outflows of the company, Records of investors and agents involved and The suspiciously high monthly returns promised by the Torres Company.

About The Allegations

The letter alleges that had an inquiry been launched promptly, it would have prevented many investors from falling prey to false promises, sparing them from financial devastation. Despite explicit warnings that the companies were preparing to flee after defrauding investors, no significant action was taken.

The Social Activist Kawale has demanded an inquiry into officers who failed to act on the provided information, urging that those found guilty be held accountable under applicable regulations. The letter further appeals for systemic reforms to prevent the recurrence of such incidents.A social activist from Dharavi, Shashikant Kavale, first raised red flags in November last year and approached the Shivaji Park police and EOW, highlighting Torres’ dubious practices.

Arjun Kapoor, Bhumi Pednekar were recently filming for a song for their upcoming film Mere Husband Ki Biwi at Imperial Palace, Royal Palms in Mumbai, when the ceiling collapsed, leaving Arjun, producer Jackky Bhagnani, and director Mudassir Aziz injured.

Ashok Dubey from the Federation of Western India Cine Employees (FWICE) spoke to ETimes, explaining that since the location had been there for a long time, the vibrations from the sound caused the set to tremble, which led to further portions falling off.

Ashok revealed that he injured his elbow and head, and that Mudassar was hurt, along with other crew members. The DOP, Manu Anand, fractured his thumb, while the camera attendant suffered a spinal injury. Expressing gratitude, he stated that no one was critically hurt, which was a blessing. Even our camera attendant injured his spine.

Further, Choreographer Vijay Ganguly, who worked on the song, stated that the first day of shooting went well; however, things took a drastic turn on the second day.

“We were on the monitor when suddenly the ceiling collapsed. Luckily, it fell in parts, and we had a trough to protect us. Had the entire ceiling fallen on us, it could have been disastrous, but many people still got hurt. These old locations are often used for shoots, and as production companies, we are sure that the safety measures are checked. However, many times, the safety of the location isn’t properly verified before it’s offered for shooting,” Ganguly shared.

Dubey said that they have written to the Chief Minister, Deputy Chief Minister, and the BMC to highlight the safety concerns.

“We have written to the Chief Minister, Deputy Chief Minister, and the BMC to highlight the safety concerns. We also raised the issue with the Fire Department, which confirmed that Chitrakoot’s structure has permission only for 90 days, yet it remains standing,” Dubey said.

Mumbai: In January, approximately 2-3 lakh women were removed from the Mukhyamantri Majhi Ladki Bahin Yojana. Some applications were found to have discrepancies during the verification process, while others voluntarily requested to be excluded from the scheme.

Statement Of Women & Child Development Minister Aditi Tatkare

Women and Child Development Minister Aditi Tatkare told the Media, “Given the ongoing verification process, it is currently difficult to determine the exact number of women who have been removed from the scheme. This process is expected to take around four to five months,” she said.