A new story emerges from the news waves of Mumbai. The divorce between art patron Poonam Bhagat, and the renowned industrialist Jaidev Shroff, the proceedings are rolling on between complications of serious, criminal allegations made by each other.
Jaidev Shroff, Executive Director for United Phosphorus was married to art patron Poonam Bhagat until October 2015, subsequently filing for divorce on grounds of ‘cruelty’, towards him and his two daughters from his first marriage.
Shroff and Bhagat, met while Shroff was in the midst of divorce proceedings from his first marriage. Both Shroff and Bhagat who were residents of Pali Hill since childhood, were married in 2005.
Poonam Bhagat and Jaidev Shroff
Eleven years later, in what seemed a happy marriage serious allegations started to fire. On the 4th of April, 2016 it was Shroff who made the first move by filing a First Information (FIR) alleging that Bhagat performed black magic on him, by poisoning him, with a magic potion which is contrary to Section 328 of the Indian Penal Code. On the 16th of April 2016, Shroff produced further evidence in both audio and video format in proof of Bhagat’s cruelties, including a CD with the conversation of Bhaghat and the Baba who provided her with the magic potion, at his first court hearing. Shroff then posts an urgent interim plea, pleading the court to ban Bhagat from entering their home in Pali Hill.
Taking a counter action, Bhagat then on the 20th April 2016 files for an anticipatory bail (ABA) against these charges, and returns another application filled with allegations. [Bhagat accused Shroff, according to her, his allegations of poisoning were false. With the latest update, it is made aware now that on the 27th of April 2016, the police had summoned Bhagat and her mother, to file their defence to the false allegations.]
In her anticipatory bail, Bhagat has also charged Shroff of the serious criminal offence of domestic abuse, saying that it wasn’t a recent problem but that it has been an ongoing issue for eleven years, from six months into their marriage. However in continuation to the timeline and the facts provided, by the 22nd of April 2016; A court order from the Family Court is issued to ban Bhagat from entering their villa. Bhagat then, later moves to Bombay High Court with an appeal against the order of the Family Court.
By the month of June, Bhagat then finds herself in more trouble, where a director at the UPL, Kishore Chandiramani files a case against her for criminal breach in trust, in handling a four crore art installation. Poonam Bhagat’s sister was also accused of stealing art worth Rs.100 Crore from her husband’s company and then she took forceful possession of their mother’s bungalow. Later into this story however she alleged that Poonam had locked her in the house and that she had assaulted her.
After obtaining a court’s permission to re-enter the Bungalow to collect personal belongings, Bhagat visits her house in Pali Hill, she was allowed a three-hour time period to collect her things but soon after fifteen minutes, Poonam was seeing to be leaving the residence claiming that her possessions were messed up and that her jewellery were missing.
Consequently, with given facts of the story, the knowledge is that there happens to be a now infamous divorce case between an alleged domestic abuser and an art-business fraud, the case hearings are still continuing, in hopes that justice is met, let us await more news on this developing story.
