An ongoing probe has found that Bollywood actor Shah Rukh Khan had purchased agricultural land from Deja Vu Farms and built a farmhouse at Alibaug for personal use. The property has been to the Benami Transactions (Prohibition) Amendment Act, 2016, with Deja Vu being the benamidar for the actor.
This case came into the limelight after Raigad district collector Vijay Suryavanshi reported that 87 farmhouses, out of which one is owned by Khan, was built along the sea in Alibaug violating Coastal Regulatory Zone (CRZ) regulations.
Deja vu farms Pvt Ltd, which is directed by Namita Chhiba, Ramesh Chhiba and Savita Chhiba (Shah Rukh Khan's sister-in-law, father-in-law and mother-in-law respectively), allegedly took unsecured loans of Rs 8.4 crore from Khan to purchase the land. The 19,960 sq m land was bought for "agricultural use", but now consists of a bungalow with a swimming pool and a private helipad.
According to the Act, a benami property is one that has been paid for, or considered paid by another person. Such properties may be provisionally attached and confiscated, and the owner may face seven years of imprisonment and a fine of up to 25 per cent of the property value.