FIR filed against Nusli Wadia, Chandraswami in Pillai case

The 32-page affidavit, filed by the Crime Branch based on a complaint filed by Pillai’s widow Nina Pillai, alleges a conspiracy between the accused to extort money from Pillai, wrest control of his business by plotting his murder.

The four named face charges under Section 304 which relates to culpable homicide not amounting to murder, Section 387/extortion, Section 406 which relates to criminal breach of trust and Section 420/cheating. Offences under Section 304 are non-bailable and carry sentences which may extend up to ten years.

Contacted by The Indian Express in Mumbai, a spokesman for Wadia said: “Weunderstand that this is the same complaint lodged before the CMM in Delhi in 1997, and appears to have been handed over to the Crime Branch and filing of the FIR is furthur action on the same complaint. We therefore have no comments to offer.” Chandraswami refused to comment.

The Chief Metropolitan Magistrate at Tis Hazari Court has directed the Crime Branch to investigate the FIR. The case is slated to come up for hearing on Janaury 18 before CMM R K Gauba.

The joint complainants in the case are Inspector S S Rathi of the Crime Branch and Nina Pillai. The FIR chronologically lists the events which lead up to Pillai’s death in July 1995 and seeks to establish a conspiracy.

The FIR states that Pillai and Wadia were at one time “good friends”. Wadia allegedly took “full advantage” of his friendship with Pillai and used his proximity to “influence him to commit deeds which made him criminally liable under Indian laws.” According to the FIR the duo allegedly fell out in 1988 when Pillai decided toenter the food industry in India and “Wadia stabbed Pillai in the back” as per the FIR.

The FIR also claims that Wadia was in debt to Pillai and had refused to return the money which he had borrowed to set up a DMT plant in India.According to the FIR, the crux of the conspiracy was control of Britannia Industries in South Asia. It alleges that Wadia tried to wrest control by using Ross Johnson and when he failed “bore a grudge against Pillai.”The FIR alleges that Johnson used Pillai to open an account in a Swiss bank in violation of US laws to which he was subject. It says that he used Pillai’s company to channel the funds. The FIR alleges that “Johnson and Wadia joined hands to wrest control of Britannia Industries from Pillai.” In 1993, Chandraswami, according to the complaint, was introduced to Pillai in the Lanesbrough hotel in London. Pillai allegedly allowed Chandraswami to use his chauffeur and car since the Godman claimed that he could help Pillai in the case he faced inSingapore.

Chandraswami allegedly asked Pillai to “front” for him in various deals trading in sugar and Palm. Pillai allegedly refused and the two fell out. After this, the FIR says, Chandraswami joined the conspiracy against Pillai.After Pillai was arrested in India, the conspirators allegedly “tried to force him to sign a power of attorney which gave the accused control over his assets.” After he signed this, “they decided to eliminate him,” alleges the FIR.