DPIFF founder, son booked for cheating

The Bandra police have booked Anil Mishra, founder and managing director of Dadasaheb Phalke International Film Festival (DPIFF), and his son, Abhishek Mishra, on cheating charges.

MUMBAI: The Bandra police have booked Anil Mishra, founder and managing director of Dadasaheb Phalke International Film Festival (DPIFF), and his son, Abhishek Mishra, on cheating charges.

DPIFF founder, son booked for cheating

The police registered an FIR against the father-son duo on February 5 under Sections 318(4) (cheating) and 319 (2) (cheating by personation) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), following a complaint lodged by Sameer Dixit, state president of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Chitrapat Aghadi.

In his complaint, Dixit claimed that Mishra had sold awards to actors and directors under the name of Dadasaheb Phalke International Film Awards. He further claimed that the “selling of awards” brought in great revenue for Mishra, and he began earning crores from the government and semi-government institutions in the name of sponsorship.

Dixit also told the police that the company, DPIFF, was not registered, and Mishra’s membership had also expired. The FIR also stated that an award show was slated to be held on February 20 at a Bandra-based five-star hotel under the banner of the closed company, International Tourism Festival Private Limited.

They had even obtained police permission for the award show, which, the Bandra police said, would be revoked now. “We are investigating the case,” said Sanjay Marathe, senior inspector of Bandra police station.