A team of Dhantoli police arrested Director, Gomez Food Art Private Limited, Elvyn Martin Nolbert Gomes for allegedly duping three of his business partners to the tune of Rs 1.35 crore.
Gomes (49) a resident of Meghdoot Villa Sonegaon, was arrested following a complaint by another Director of the company Shomit Siddhinath Bagchi, a resident of 2, Nelco Society, Khamla. Their company ran a restaurant with name Port O Gomez at Shri Krishna Apartment, Daga Layout, North Ambazari Road.
Bagchi in his complaint stated that Gomez Food Art Private Limited was formed on February 15, 2012, where he along with Pankaj Rathi, Elvyn Martin Nolbert Gomes and Sumit Gopalji Heda as its Directors. Bagchi further stated in the complaint that they often held meetings at Rathi’s office in Dhantoli where Gomes reportedly convinced them of starting a restaurant and all the other three agreed to it. Subsequently, they opened an account with Canara Bank where Bagchi and Heda deposited an amount of Rs 73,52,100. The company availed a loan of Rs 1.6 crore to purchase the restaurant from Canara Bank and another loan of Rs 55 lakh for furniture and other material. Bagchi, Heda and Rathi invested Rs 65 lakh, Rs 46.16 lakh and Rs 1,77, 86,559 respectively in the business.
Later, they repaid the Canara Bank liability by availing a loan of Rs 2,69,55,82 from L&T Finance Company and the trio was regularly paying the EMIs. The company opened restaurant Port O’Gomez in 2015-16 and the trio made Gomes as operating partner of the restaurant.
Bagchi further alleged in the complaint that during January 1, 2015 to December 31, 2018, Gomes diverted company’s funds to the tunes of Rs 1,35,70,802 to his own firm Gomez Bridge. On the basis of Bagchi’s complaint, the police arrested Gomes and registered an offence under Section 420 of the IPC. He was produced in the court and was remanded to police custody till February 21. Further investigations are on.