Why did cops not probe complaint against Sheetal Mafatlal? asks court

The magistrate court on Tuesday asked why the police did not act on the complaints of Farukh Wadia alleging that Sheetal Mafatlal had replaced the original paintings with fake ones in October 2011.

The magistrate court on Tuesday asked why the police did not act on the complaints of Farukh Wadia alleging that Sheetal Mafatlal had replaced the original paintings with fake ones in October 2011.

Sheetal’s advocate Santosh Chari on Tuesday read Wadia’s statement given before the VP Road police station, and alleged that there were several contradictory statements.

Wadia said he had approached the Gamdevi police on October 8, 2011, after Sheetal allegedly confessed to having replaced the original paintings.

He also said after the high court said the paintings belonged to Sheetal, he had written a letter to the DCP in August 2012. However, no action was taken.

Chari pointed out that Wadia had alleged that he was told by the manager of a mall that Sheetal had taken the paintings. However, the manager refuted the allegation in his statement to the police.

According to records, the police had seized the paintings on August 31, 2011, from the Bandra flat and then on September 9, 2011, from the Khar flat. Wadia had alleged that after the paintings were seized, Sheetal allegedly told him she had replaced the artworks.