The Bombay High Court has denied the anticipatory bail request of a real estate agent accused of deceiving a restaurant owner in Vile Parle of Rs 82 lakh. The money was allegedly demanded as bribe from BMC officials to help transfer property.
Mumbai: The Bombay High Court refused bail to a real estate agent accused of swindling Rs 82 lakh from a Vile Parle restaurant owner. The money was claimed to be a bribe for officials at the BMC to approve a property transfer.
The vacation judge, Justice Advait Sethna, said the allegations pointed to a bigger plan involving co-accused individuals Paresh Shah and Prakash Vyas. The First Information Report (FIR) was filed on April 14, 2025, at Vile Parle Police Station. It was based on a complaint from Jayprakash Suru Shetty, owner of Geeta Restaurant.
Prosecutors say the accused lied to Shetty, claiming Rs 82 lakh was needed as illegal payoffs. This amount included Rs 50 lakh through bank transfers and Rs 32 lakh cash. They say Rs 9.5 lakh was directly transferred to Mutreja’s bank account. An additional Rs 9.25 lakh was paid in cash.
Mutreja’s lawyer, Rahul Moghe, claimed that the money was a loan from co-accused Vyas. He said it was for his mother’s cancer treatment. The court was not convinced by this. Justice Sethna said the claim seemed suspicious and was made after the fact. The court noted there was no proof to support the loan.
The court also examined texts on WhatsApp and an agreement dated January 22, 2025. These linked Mutreja to the deal between Shetty and Vyas. This made his claim of having no role in the case seem false. The court noted Mutreja could not deny involvement with the co-accused individuals.
A voice recording presented by the prosecution showed Mutreja allegedly asking for money from the complainant’s daughter. He was accused of trying to bribe officials. The court saw this as a sign of potential witness intimidation.
The court also considered six similar criminal complaints against Mutreja. It was worried he might run away or destroy evidence. The judge said accepting his bail would be unfair. The court rejected the plea for anticipatory bail.