Govind Swarup, the former MD of Film City, has been declared an absconder by a special court in a case of misappropriation of Rs12 crore.
A non-bailable arrest warrant was issued against Govind Swarup, the high-profile former managing director of Film City, by a special court that also declared him an absconder in a case of misappropriation of Rs12 crore. Swarup retired from government service on August 31. Funds siphoned off by him, associate Shahab Ahmad and two former employees have cost Film City Rs12.83 crore.
On Saturday, when Anti Corruption Bureau (ACB) officials reached the Swarup residence in south Mumbai to arrest him, they were told he was visiting an ailing friend at Breach Candy hospital. When the officers reached the hospital, they discovered there was no patient by that name, and Swarup had disappeared.
The ACB, however, picked up Ahmad, the proprietor of Ms Montage, from his Andheri residence in the same case. Special court judge SS Joshi has set a surety of Rs25 lakh for his bail.
Deputy inspector general of police (ACB) Pradnya Sarvade told DNA: “The investigations were conducted for over a year, and now the 9,463-page chargesheet has been submitted before the court.” According to additional deputy commissioner (ACB) Vilas Tupe, Ahmad was released on a personal bond and was given three weeks to arrange the Rs25-lakh surety.
During his stint as MD of the Maharashtra Film, Stage and Cultural Development Corporation (Film City) between 2000 and 2002, Swarup had tied up with Montage to produce a programme featuring Bollywood actors and singers titled Hum Ek Hain. According to the chargesheet, the Film City board approved the proposal, and the corporation opened a joint account with Ahmad to which funds — through loans against its fixed deposits and income from other ventures — were illegally transferred.
The probe also revealed other agreements entered into by Swarup later, without the approval of the board.
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