Mumbai cops seek more time to lodge case after top dance group alleges fraud

The Maharashtra Police on Tuesday asked for two weeks to decide whether to file an FIR in complaints by a group of boys from the V. Unbeatable Dance Group who were allegedly duped of Rs 11.96 crore.
The Bombay High Court was hearing a petition filed by the troupe seeking that the police be directed to register an FIR against their manager Om Prakash Chauhan and choreographers Rohit Jadhav and Remo D’Souza.
The plea filed through advocate Shravan Giri alleged that the Mira Road police were hand in glove with the accused Chauhan and had physically assaulted them when the troupe’s members went to ask for their money.
Additional Public Prosecutor Prajakta Shinde informed the bench of Justices Revati Mohite-Dere and Prithviraj K Chavan that the complaints had been transferred from Mira Road police station to the Crime Branch in Virar and an inquiry would be conducted by Police Inspector Pramod Badak.
In the meantime, advocate Sachet Makhija, representing a person who is accused by the group of swindling the money, said that this was an issue of cross complaints and that no coercive action should be taken.
However, the bench said that they were not hearing a bail plea to grant such a relief. The bench stressed that it only wanted to know from the police if they intended to register an FIR.
While Shinde sought two weeks’ time to take a decision, the bench said, “You (Police) will inform us before taking a decision. You will not close the complaints. But if you are registering FIR then you can proceed. This is not a small amount for the group. You ought to have investigated.”
The bench further stressed, “Go in accordance with law and do not leave any loopholes.”
Giri pointed out that the Dance group had won the America’s Got Talent – The champions and had been crowned as “Best Talent in The World.” While winning the titles, they had also won an amount of $25000.
The group said that their members hailed from poor families, and they used to practice in an open space in a garden in Bhayander Khadi and honed their talent.
The bulk of their grievance is against Chauhan, who they had befriended years ago and who started acting as their manager and allegedly siphoned off award or performance money. The group alleged that the money that they won as awards, the donations that they received and the payments that they received for their shows were embezzled by Chauhan along with others.
The group got to know that Remo had one time called the dancers “fake” and had allegedly supported Chauhan when he obtained the trademark for the name “V. Unbeatable Dance Group.”