Mumbai, Oct 9, 10:06PM A Mumbai sessions court on Friday refused to set aside a magistrate's court order that directed police to register an FIR over allegations of misappropriation of Lilavati Trust's funds and alleged harassment leading to the death of trustee Kishor Mehta.
The Lilavati Kirtilal Mehta Medical Trust (LKMMT) manages Lilavati Hospital & Research Centre, a premier multi-specialty hospital located in Mumbai's Bandra area.
Additional Sessions Judge Kunal Dhanaji Jadhav held that the magistrate's court ruling was "well within the jurisdiction" and required no interference, while dismissing a revision application filed by an erstwhile trustee, Chetan Mehta, and other accused.
The dispute pertains to a private complaint lodged by the Lilavati Kirtilal Mehta Medical Trust, represented by trustee Prashant Mehta, before the Judicial Magistrate First Class (JMFC) at suburban Bandra.
The complaint alleged that Chetan Mehta and other co-accused, while acting as trustees, siphoned off funds running into crores of rupees and engaged in illicit transactions that pushed the trust into severe financial distress.
The accused subjected fellow trustees Kishor Mehta and Rajesh Mehta to severe harassment and mental agony. This allegedly led to Kishor Mehta's hospitalization in the ICU and subsequent death, the trust alleged.
After police initially did not act on written complaints, the magistrate's court called for a report under procedural provisions and subsequently directed the Bandra police to investigate the matter. Acting on the directive, the Bandra police registered an FIR on May 31, 2025.
Challenging the magistrate's May 29, 2025 order, Chetan Mehta approached the sessions court seeking to quash the proceedings.
The defence argued that the dispute was purely civil in nature concerning trust accounts and trusteeship, which were already pending before the Charity Commissioner, civil courts, and tribunals.
Opposing the plea, advocate Rizwan Merchant, representing LKMMT, maintained that the investigation was in progress and that all legal prerequisites, including submitting complaints to senior police officers and filing a supporting affidavit, were being strictly observed.
The sessions court, after hearing all arguments, prima facie found that there was "compliance of mandatory provisions of law".
"Therefore, the order of the magistrate (directing police to file an FIR) is well within the jurisdiction," the court ruled.
Mumbai, Oct 9, 9:58PM A Mumbai sessions court on Friday refused to set aside a magistrate's court order that directed police to register an FIR over allegations of misappropriation of Lilavati Trust's funds and alleged harassment leading to the death of trustee Kishor Mehta.
The Lilavati Kirtilal Mehta Medical Trust (LKMMT) manages Lilavati Hospital & Research Centre, a premier multi-specialty hospital located in Mumbai's Bandra area.
Additional Sessions Judge Kunal Dhanaji Jadhav held that the magistrate's court ruling was "well within the jurisdiction" and required no interference, while dismissing a revision application filed by an erstwhile trustee, Chetan Mehta, and other accused.
The dispute pertains to a private complaint lodged by the Lilavati Kirtilal Mehta Medical Trust, represented by trustee Prashant Mehta, before the Judicial Magistrate First Class (JMFC) at suburban Bandra.
The complaint alleged that Chetan Mehta and other co-accused, while acting as trustees, siphoned off funds running into crores of rupees and engaged in illicit transactions that pushed the trust into severe financial distress.
The accused subjected fellow trustees Kishor Mehta and Rajesh Mehta to severe harassment and mental agony. This allegedly led to Kishor Mehta's hospitalization in the ICU and subsequent death, the trust alleged.
After police initially did not act on written complaints, the magistrate's court called for a report under procedural provisions and subsequently directed the Bandra police to investigate the matter. Acting on the directive, the Bandra police registered an FIR on May 31, 2025.
Challenging the magistrate's May 29, 2025 order, Chetan Mehta approached the sessions court seeking to quash the proceedings.
The defence argued that the dispute was purely civil in nature concerning trust accounts and trusteeship, which were already pending before the Charity Commissioner, civil courts, and tribunals.
Opposing the plea, advocate Rizwan Merchant, representing LKMMT, maintained that the investigation was in progress and that all legal prerequisites, including submitting complaints to senior police officers and filing a supporting affidavit, were being strictly observed.
The sessions court, after hearing all arguments, prima facie found that there was "compliance of mandatory provisions of law".
"Therefore, the order of the magistrate (directing police to file an FIR) is well within the jurisdiction," the court ruled.
