Sehwag, business partner slapped with cheating charge

LUCKNOW - A court in Uttar Pradesh’s Allahabad district Monday accepted an application for filing of criminal charges against cricketer Virender Sehwag and his business partner Sidharth Dilawari for allegedly defrauding a college teacher.

“Deepa Srivastava, a degree college teacher in Allahabad, today moved an application in the court of CJM and requested the court to lodge an FIR against the duo under sections 406 (Criminal breach of trust), 417 (Cheating) and 420 (cheating and dishonestly inducing delivery of property) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC),” Srivastava’s counsel Chetan Shandiyal told reporters.

Chief Judicial Magistrate (CJM) of Allahabad Rajesh Upadhaya also asked the Civil Lines police for the status report mentioning if there was any case registered in this connection. The court fixed the next date of hearing Aug 27.

“Three years ago on Sep 6, 2006, Srivastava had entered into an agreement for the franchise of ‘Shewag’s Favourite’- a restaurant managed and marketed by Creative Stride Taste Bud Private Limited owned by Sidharth Dilawari,” said Shandiyal.

“Dilawari agreed to give franchise to Srivastava for opening of a branch of ‘Sehwag’s Favourite’. She had paid Rs.2 lakh through drafts to Dilawari on Sep 11, 2006, and Sept 25, 2006,” he added.

According to counsel, after accepting the drafts, Dilawari took a u-turn and refused to honour the deal and later returned Rs.70,000 through three cheques. Till now, the businessman has not returned the remaining amount.

“When my client again contacted Dilawari in December 2008, he refused to pay the amount. On their visit to Sidharth’s residence in Gurgaon in January this year, my client found that Dilawari and his family had shifted to US.”

Earlier, the Civil Lines police had refused to register the case last Tuesday, citing that the business deal was made in Delhi.