Bollywood art director Nitin Desai accused of cheating Thane ad agency of ₹51.7 lakh

Police complaint filed on Thursday; Thane cops ask Desai to visit police station and record statement

An advertising agency has filed a case of cheating against Bollywood art director Nitin Chandrakant Desai, for allegedly not paying up fees of ₹51.7 lakh for three months of work.

Bollywood art director Nitin Desai. (Photo courtesy: Abhijit Bhatlekar / Mint)

The case was filed on Thursday by Thane resident and owner of Vihang Digital World Rakesh Shinde,42, at Vartak Nagar police station.

“We have registered a case against Desai. Shinde and Desai met in 2017 through a local MLA. Soon after, Desai hired Shinde’s agency to do ads for theme park and Bollywood garden in Thane, a project initiated by the Thane Municipal Corporation. From March to May, Shinde said he did work for the project, but he has not yet been paid,” said a police officer from Thane commissionerate (zone 5). “The fees were allegedly fixed at ₹17.2 lakh per month.”

In his complaint, Shinde has alleged that he was given private bank cheques that bounced, as well as cheques of closed bank accounts. “He also said that the security guards at Desai’s office would not allow him in to meet Desai,” the officer said. “We registered the complaint and sent a team to Desai’s office in Mulund, but it was locked. We have asked him to come to the police station and record his statement.”

The officer said a second cheating case is likely to be registered against Desai soon, by the owner of another advertising agency, Dev Kate, who has approached them alleging that Desai has not paid him ₹1 crore for work done.