Plea to release DSK’s grandson’s bungalow moved in MPID court

An application in the name of the six-year-old grandson of jailed Pune-based realtor DS Kulkarni was moved in a special MPID court in Pune on Friday.

The plea is to release a bungalow located in the city in the minor’s name that has been seized in a case registered against DSK, over accusations of duping thousands of investors and home buyers.

The house is part of the immovable assets attached by the enforcement directorate (ED) of the central government, as well as by the Maharashtra police. The ED has attached assets of DSK and his related companies, worth Rs 904 crore.

According to defence lawyers Pratik Rajopadhye and Ashish Patankar, representing the arrested realtor’s son Shirish Kulkarni, who is also lodged in Yerawada central jail, the bungalow in question is a property that is spread across 2,000 square feet on SB road in Pune.

“The property was gifted to the minor boy in 2016, one year before the offence was registered. The land was purchased in 1996, whereas the year of the offence registered is 2017,” said advocate Rajopadhye.

“The minor applicant may kindly be permitted to occupy, possess and stay in the said residential bungalow,” reads the application.

“This is all a fraudulent transaction. A similar application was made in the past (before lockdown). We have already made an application challenging the plea,” said Shivaji Pawar, assistant commissioner of police, who is investigating the case.

The minor boy is currently in the care of his mother.

Last month, DSK’s daughter passed away due to Covid-19 and he was granted a 13-day bail to attend the last rites.

DSK and his wife were arrested from a hotel in Delhi in February 2018 by the Pune police.

Subsequently, his son and employees of various DSK Developers Limited (DSKDL) and related companies were arrested in the case registered at Shivajinagar police station.