New Delhi: Vaibhav Pandya, the stepbrother of Mumbai Indians captain Hardik Pandya, has been sent to the custody of the Mumbai Police's Economic Offences Wing (EOW) on charges of fraud amounting to Rs 4.3 crore. The case was filed against him by his brothers Hardik and Krunal Pandya.
Hardik Pandya, known for his explosive batting and all-round abilities, lodged a complaint against his stepbrother, accusing him of fraud and deceitful practices. The allegations revolve around financial discrepancies within a partnership firm established by the trio in 2021.
According to the complaint, the Pandya brothers, along with Vaibhav, ventured into the polymer business, with each sibling having a defined stake in the enterprise. Hardik and Krunal were to contribute 40 per cent each to the capital, while Vaibhav's share stood at 20 per cent. The arrangement stipulated that profits would be distributed among the partners in proportion to their investments.
However, it has come to light that Vaibhav allegedly diverted profits from the partnership firm into his personal accounts, thereby diminishing the returns due to Hardik and Krunal. He also increased his profit share to 33.3 per cent secretly, resulting in substantial losses for the other Pandya brothers.
The situation escalated when Vaibhav allegedly transferred funds from the partnership account to another company without the knowledge or consent of his brothers, exacerbating the financial strain on Hardik and Krunal's business interests. They suffered a loss of nearly Rs 4.3 crore.
Upon discovering these discrepancies, Hardik and Krunal confronted Vaibhav, only to be met with threats of defamation should they pursue legal action against him.
In response, the Pandya brothers' accountant lodged a First Information Report (FIR) at Khar police station, prompting an investigation by the authorities. Subsequently, the case was transferred to the Economic Offences Wing for further scrutiny.
Following a thorough investigation, Vaibhav Pandya was placed under arrest and remanded to police custody for five days.
Hardik Pandya has been making the headlines since the start of this year's Indian Premier League on April 22. He replaced Rohit Sharma, who has led MI to 5 championship titles, as the captain of the IPL side. The management's decision to change the captains hasn't gone down with some fans and Hardik Pandya has been booed during all of MI's matches, including those at their homeground Wankhede. It hasn't helped his cause that Mumbai lost their first 3 matches.