The Goodwin Investors Association on Wednesday filed a public interest litigation (PIL) in the Supreme Court (SC), demanding a probe into the case by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) or a special investigating team (SIT) .
All 12 branches of Goodwin Jewellers in Mumbai, Thane and Pune shut on October 22, leaving investors in a lurch. The economic offences wing (EOW) took over the case on October 30. The owners of Goodwin Jewellers, brothers Sunil Kumar and Sudheesh Kumar, are absconding.
The investors’ association comprises 300 people from Mumbai and Pune. The PIL was filed by Pawan Pathak, 26, advocate at the SC, and president of the association. Pathak’s father, who served in the defence, had invested ₹25 lakh in Goodwin Jewellers.
“Currently, the case is registered in the local police stations of different cities and the EOW. There has been no breakthrough in the case. We have appealed to the SC to order a CBI probe or constitute an SIT for this case so that justice is delivered,” said Pathak.
“We will mention the case in the SC on November 25, after which a hearing date will be provided. We have asked the SC to consider the case as a multi-state scam that has affected investors from Mumbai, Pune, Kerala and foreign countries,” he said.
{{/usCountry}}“We will mention the case in the SC on November 25, after which a hearing date will be provided. We have asked the SC to consider the case as a multi-state scam that has affected investors from Mumbai, Pune, Kerala and foreign countries,” he said.
{{/usCountry}}A Pune-based investor, Murali Pillai, 50, had initiated an online survey to collect details of investors and also formed the association.
The PIL states how the company ran the schemes – the 11-month EMI and fixed deposit schemes at 16% interest rate. The petition claims the company has collected ₹500 crore, from approximately 1 lakh customers.
The Kumar brothers have been charged under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code and Maharashtra Protection of Interest of Depositors Act. “We have some confidential information. We are verifying all the acquired information. The owners have not taken any loans from banks. We have received around 900 complaints, with losses totalling to ₹23 crore,”said Sardar Patil, assistant commissioner of police, EOW, Thane.