MUMBAI: A director of a window company system which allegedly installed a defective quality of aluminium windows at a luxurious apartment at Nepean Sea Road in South Mumbai and caused a loss of worth Rs 72 lakhs, was arrested by the city police on the charges of cheating.The Dadar police on Saturday arrested the director of the Yantra Window System Ravi Panjwani, 57, from a hotel in Lonavala in connection with a cheating case registered at Dadar Police Station after he allegedly avoided joining the investigation.The Dadar police had in March registered the offence under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) section of 318 (4) against Panjwani and Nikhil Daswani.Police officials said they arrested Panjwani and produced him before the court which remanded him police custody till Monday. Panjwani and Daswani had moved anticipatory bail pleas before a Mumbai sessions court, but no interim protection was grantedThe complaint was filed by Beauvue Stiledivita Private Limited, a Mumbai-based interior design firm. They had undertaken the interior design and fit-out work for a luxury duplex apartment spread across the 21st and 22nd floors of Asiana Building at Malabar Hill belonging to a client.The project, valued at approximately Rs 16.90 crore including GST, involved extensive civil, electrical, plumbing, furnishing, automation and window installation works.Police said complainant had engaged Yantra Aluminium Window System Pvt. Ltd., represented by directors Panjwani and Nikhil Arun Daswani, for the installation of premium aluminium profile window systems, including advanced sliding and hidden-track windows. The work order was issued for approximately Rs 34.81 lakh.The complainant alleged that the accused convinced him to opt for what they described as a “European-standard” window system and displayed catalogues, presentations and sample works to gain his confidence.Trusting their assurances, the complainant’s company transferred Rs 31.86 lakh to Yantra Aluminium Window System Pvt. Ltd. in multiple instalments.However, after installation, the homeowners allegedly complained of serious defects in the windows, including water leakage during rain, loud whistling sounds due to wind pressure, faulty locking systems and unsafe fittings.Complainant and his staff later inspected the site and allegedly found defective fabrication, improper installation, poor-quality materials and dangerous structural conditions.Police said the windows had to be repeatedly removed and reinstalled, while repair attempts allegedly failed despite multiple visits by the company’s technicians.The complainant alleged that the homeowners were forced to temporarily shift to a five-star hotel during the repair work, while painting and surrounding civil work also had to be redone multiple times.An independent audit conducted through other interior and window system firms reportedly concluded that the installation was structurally unsafe and functionally inadequate.According to the complaint, the audit noted improper drainage systems, defective inter-locks, badly installed gaskets, malfunctioning lock receivers, poor silicone application and substandard finishing work.The complainant further alleged that due to the defective work, he was forced to refund Rs 41.51 lakh to the homeowner for the failed window system and may incur an additional Rs 35 lakh towards removal, replacement, civil repairs and restoration work.He claimed the incident severely damaged his company’s reputation in the interior design industry and caused losses exceeding Rs 73 lakh.
