In the tussle over the ownership of the Rs 250-crore property in Mumbai’s Pali Hill area, between veteran actor Dilip Kumar and builder Sameer Bhojwani, the legal heirs of the property’s original owners, Sunit Khatau, a beneficiary of the Seth Mulraj Khatau Settlement Trust, issued a public notice, on January 7, 2019, stating that the trust was its owner and that Dilip Kumar was a perpetual lessee of the property, for a period of 999 years. The public notice clarified that Kumar was not a tenant of the property, as alleged by Bhojwani.

The rent on the property has already been commuted and the ‘lease is still valid and subsisting’, said the notice, released by the trust’s lawyer, Altamesh Shaikh. “Sameer Bhojwani cannot claim himself to be the landlord of the property. The property card shows that name of Chandrakant Khatau (one of the trustees) as one of the owners of the property and Yusuf Khan, alias Dilip Kumar, as lessee by sale deed dated September 25, 1953,” the notice said.

It further said that Bhojwani, in collusion with three persons – Hiten Khatau, Mahendra Khatau and Dilip Khatau – who were claiming to be the trustees of the Seth Mulraj Khatau Settlement Trust, created and manufactured several illegal, back-dated documents, of several properties of the trust. The notice warned the public from dealing with Bhojwani or any of the three persons claiming to be trustees.

Dilip Kumar, Saira Banu send defamation notice to builder

Actor Dilip Kumar and his wife Saira Banu have sent a defamation notice to a builder accused of trying to grab the actor’s bungalow in Mumbai’s upscale Pali Hill area of Bandra

January 4, 2019: Veteran actor Dilip Kumar and his wife Saira Banu have sent a defamation notice to builder Sameer Bhojwani, for making false claims of ownership to their Rs 250-crore property in suburban Bandra. In the notice, they have sought an apology from Bhojwani and Rs 200 crores in damages, for defaming them in public with their statements.

On December 21, 2018, Bhojwani had issued a public notice claiming he was the ‘rightful owner’ of the said property. He had further claimed that the 96-year-old thespian was only a ‘lessee’ of the property. Taking objection to this, Kumar and his actress-wife, on December 31, 2018, sent a defamation notice to Bhojwani, for misleading the public with false and defamatory statements.

“Bhojwani has damaged the reputation of Dilip Kumar and Saira Banu in public, by making false and defamatory statement against them,” said the notice sent to Bhojwani by the star couple’s advocate, Chirag Shah. “Bhojwani issued the public notice on December 21, 2018, with a criminal intention to grab/encroach the legitimate rights of Dilip Kumar and Saira Banu, by creating a perception in public that he (Bhojwani) is the owner of the property,” it said.

“On the basis of forged and fabricated documents, Bhojwani is claiming ownership of a property, originally owned by Dilip Kumar and Saira Banu. Dilip Kumar and Saira Banu are the legitimate owners of the property situated at Pali Hill in Bandra and have acquired the same in September 1953,” the notice said.

Yet to meet PM: Saira Banu on release of builder booked for trying to grab Dilip Kumar’s bungalow

Saira Banu has said that she is hoping to meet prime minister Narendra Modi, over the release of builder Samir Bhojwani, who is accused of trying to grab her husband and veteran actor Dilip Kumar’s bungalow in the prime Pali Hill area of Mumbai

December 19, 2018: Saira Banu, on December 18, 2018, said she is yet to meet prime minister Narendra Modi to discuss about the release of builder Samir Bhojwani, who had falsely claimed ownership of two plots on which Dilip Kumar’s bungalow in Mumbai was built and would go to Delhi, if needed. On December 16, 2018, via Kumar’s official Twitter account, Banu had requested a meeting with the prime minister, in the wake of Bhojwani’s release.

The former actor said she was unable to meet the prime minister, when he was on a one-day visit to Maharashtra on December 18 but she plans to follow up with the matter. I did not meet the prime minister here, as he has been busy but I have learnt that his office has asked people here to look into the matter. I have tweeted about it. I will meet him in Delhi if needed. I have no idea how I will follow this up but I will follow it up, Banu, 74, said.

Banu, in a tweet later from the official Twitter handle of Kumar, said, “To the honourable @PMOIndia Shri @narendramodi. Awaiting for appointment. I am tired of repeated assurances from CM @Dev_Fadnavis “I Am Trying”. Sir you are the last hope of protecting Dilip Sagan’s only house from land mafia Samir Bhojwani. I beg (sic).” Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis, on December 17, 2018, said he will speak to Kumar, 96 and his family, to allay their fears over the property issue involving Bhojwani.

Kumar’s bungalow is located in the upscale Pali Hill area of Bandra. Earlier this year, Banu had approached police and lodged a complaint against Bhojwani. In January 2018, the Economic Offences Wing (EOW) of the Mumbai police had registered a case of cheating against the builder, for allegedly trying to grab the bungalow of the veteran actor. The police officials suspected that Bhojwani forged certain documents to grab the property. After the offence was registered, a team of EOW sleuths raided Bhojwani’s residence in Bandra, from where they seized weapons, including knives and daggers. Bhojwani was arrested by EOW in April 2018.

Builder booked for trying to grab actor Dilip Kumar’s bungalow

The Mumbai Police has registered a case of cheating against a builder, for allegedly trying to grab veteran actor Dilip Kumar’s bungalow in suburban Bandra

January 10, 2018: The Economic Offences Wing (EOW) of the Mumbai Police, has registered a case of cheating against a builder, for allegedly trying to grab the bungalow of veteran actor Dilip Kumar in suburban Bandra, an official said on January 10, 2018. The builder, Samir Bhojwani, falsely claimed ownership of the two plots on which the bungalow was built in the upscale Pali Hill area of Bandra, the official said. Police suspect that Bhojwani forged certain documents, to grab the bungalow, he said.

Dilip Kumar’s wife Saira Banu recently approached the police and lodged a complaint against Bhojwani, following which the offence was registered against the builder, Deputy Commissioner of Police (EOW) Parag Manere said. “We are investigating the case thoroughly and action will be taken accordingly,” he said.

As per the complaint, the legendary actor had bought both the plots of the bungalow in 1953 for Rs 1.40 lakhs, another police official said. However, Bhojwani, who is on the run, claimed that his father bought the property in the 1980s from the Mulraj Khatau Trust, he said.

After the offence was registered, a team of EOW sleuths raided Bhojwani’s residence in Bandra, on January 8, 2018.

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