SC seeks details of Amrapali's transactions with Dhoni

The Supreme Court on Tuesday asked the beleaguered real estate major Amrapali to disclose the details of transactions that the group and its companies had with former Indian skipper M.S. Dhoni - who was its brand ambassador from 2009 to 2016.

The bench of Justice Arun Mishra and Justice Uday Umesh Lalit asked the realty firm to disclose the money paid to Dhoni during the 2009-2016 period by the Amrapali Group's companies.

The court sought the details while hearing a batch of petitions by the homebuyers and others for alleged cheating.

The forensic auditors in their report have told the court that a huge penthouse was given to Dhoni for a paltry amount -- a finding disputed by Dhoni.

Dhoni has told the court that the price paid by him for the penthouse was "certainly not a paltry amount" and was "lesser due to the applicant (Dhoni) being associated with Amrapali Group as their brand ambassador".

Claimed to have been" duped" by the Amrapali Group, Dhoni has contended that "inadequacy of consideration" for the purchase of penthouse cannot be a ground to "question the otherwise genuine agreement".

Dhoni said this in response to a communication from the forensic auditors to all those flat owners who were given flats by Amrapali Group on the payment of alleged "paltry" amount.

The top court by its December 5, 2018 order had asked the forensic auditors to issue letters and seek response from all those who were given flats on payment of alleged paltry amount.

The court on Tuesday said that it has not restricted the forensic auditors from sharing their report with the Economic Offences Wing of Delhi Police.

The court said this as the forensic auditors told the court that they were approached by the officials of Delhi Police's Economic Offences Wing seeking a copy of the report.

He told the court that he declined to give the copy of the report, saying they cannot do so without the court's orders.

The court was briefed by the forensic auditors on their report on the finances of Amrapali Group and said that about Rs 3,500 crore was involved in the diversions of funds.

The court also directed the forensic auditors to furnish them the details of these diversions in a summary form with their findings.

--IANS

pk/nir