he MRA Marg police have initiated investigations to trace the source of the cash found in the cupboard of deceased Bombay Parsi Panchayat (BPP) CEO, Mehlo Colah, last week.
Rs 20 lakh in cash was found in Colah’s cupboard in the BPP office on Tuesday last week, giving rise to allegations of the money having come from a suspicious real estate deal.
The cupboard was opened following Colah’s death in December last year. BPP president Dinshaw Mehta refuted these allegations and said that attempts were being made to give an unnecessary twist to the matter.
“I, along with the six other trustees, have submitted a letter to the MRA Marg police, asking them to probe the source of the money. Colah was one of the most honest persons that one could find, and the money could have come from anywhere, which he might not have been able to inform us about due to his illness. He was in and out of the hospital due to cancer since July this year and may not have had the chance to tell anyone when he kept the money in the cupboard,” Mehta said.
The MRA Marg police confirmed that they had received the letter and were initiating inquiries into the matter.
“There are no grounds for an FIR at the moment. We have only been asked to trace the source of the money. We are aware of the allegations made by some members of the Panchayat. We will be speaking to the auditors who conducted the last financial audit of the Panchayat, and will also be checking their accounts to check if the money finds mention there. Inquiries will also be made with all those who worked with Colah,” said Senior Police Inspector, Ashok Jagdale, MRA Marg police station.