EOW arrests Cricketer Hardik Pandya’s stepbrother

Mumbai Police arrest stepbrother of cricketers Hardik and Krunal Pandya for allegedly duping them of ₹4.25 crore through fraudulent business dealings.

MUMBAI: The Mumbai Police’s Economic Offences Wing (EOW) arrested the 37-year-old stepbrother of cricketers Hardik Pandya and Krunal Pandya for duping the brothers of ₹4.25 crore. The accused has been remanded by a local court to EOW custody till Friday.

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According to the EOW officials, the Pandya brothers along with their stepbrother Vaibhav Pandya, established a Limited Liability Partnership (LLP) in 2021 to manage their business entity, Polymers. Vaibhav was tasked with overseeing the day-to-day operations of the company.

“However, Vaibhav breached the terms and agreements by establishing his own firm in the same business, under a dummy name, without the knowledge of his two brothers, even after their prior investments,” said the EOW officer.

It was alleged that he diverted funds from the initial firm to his own establishment. Moreover, he purportedly augmented his ownership stake in the LLP, subsequently resulting in a gradual decline in profits for the partnership. Additionally, the officer claims he forged the signatures of the Pandya brothers.

When he was confronted by the brothers about the same, he threatened them with dire consequences. After that, the Pandya brothers approached the Khar police, and a case was registered. It was later transferred to the EOW for investigation.

Vaibhav has been charged under sections 420 (cheating), 406 (criminal breach of trust), 408 (criminal breach of trust by an employee), 465 (forgery), 467 (forgery of valuable security), 471 (Using as genuine a forged document or electronic record), 34 (common intention),120 B (criminal conspiracy) and 506 (criminal intimidation) of Indian Penal Code.