Police widen search for owner of Rs 1300-cr plot

Jhaveri’s family says he had problems with motor skills and was prone to psychological and physical issues.

Lawyers representing the family have said that while Jhaveri’s disease could be a reason behind his disappearance, the fact that he is the sole owner of a huge piece of prime land cannot be overlooked.

The plot was once home to Palm Beach School, which is now defunct.

“Nikhil was looking to restart the school either by himself or through a partnership and develop a portion of the 22,000 sq ft plot,” a family member said.

Jhaveri was said to be worried over the past few months about the property, which originally belonged to his father Vitthal Jhaveri and was passed on to him in the 1990s.

He had also received offers from parties interested in the land to develop it jointly. However, he had not disclosed details of the same to his family members or lawyers.

Jhaveri was earlier a resident of Asian court, a building on Napean Sea road where he owned a flat. However, in November 2013, he moved to his sister’s house at Thakur village, Kandivali, after he lost his house in litigation.

On the morning of December 3, Jhaveri, a smoker, stepped down for a smoke followed by a cup of tea at about 5 am. Footage recovered by family members from surveillance cameras in and around the area show he was last seen at 6.40 am, walking away from the building.

Family members searched all public places, parks, malls, houses of relatives and friends for any trace of Jhaveri. Ultimately, his uncle Murlidhar Mehta registered a complaint at Samata Nagar police station on December 7.

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