Family friends of deceased artist Hema Upadhyay have questioned the affidavit filed in a Borivali court by friends of Hema’s husband and one of the accused in the double murder case, artist Chintan Up
Family friends of deceased artist Hema Upadhyay have questioned the affidavit filed in a Borivali court by friends of Hema’s husband and one of the accused in the double murder case, artist Chintan Upadhyay. They have rubbished claims made in the affidavit, saying that it’s just another ploy undertaken by Chintan and his friends to divert the police investigation.
Sanchu Menon, Hema’s family friend, commented on Amir Rizvi’s claim in the affidavit. “Rizvi is saying Hema wanted to buy a flat in her own name in 2008, and she ended up purchasing one in Andheri (west), but in reality, she had selected it in 2007, and had given the token amount also. In 2008, she got the studio registered in her name.” Mr Menon said Hema never took any money from Chintan for her studio.
Mr Menon also questioned the timing of the submission of the affidavit saying, “Why did they directly give it to the court instead of approaching senior police officials ” While speaking to The Asian Age, he claimed that Chintan was not even ready to pay maintenance charges and bills of the house that was jointly-owned by Hema and him, and Hema had to approach the court to get the money. Whereas the affidavit claims that Chintan was ready to pay almost Rs 2 crore to Hema after their friends became mediators for settlement but Chintan never gave her a single penny and only after the court order, did he pay her Rs 16 lakh.
Mr Menon further said that Hema had informed her brother, Manish Hirani, several times that Chintan would beat her, spill hot tea on her and be very cruel to her. She had even confided in her mother, Beena Hirani, that Chintan would do something to her. While in the affidavit, Chintan’s friend addressed Hema as a moody woman, who had a changing temperament while dealing with subordinates. Just because she (Hema) is no more, they are twisting things just to save their friend,” said Mr Menon.
A police official has informed this newspaper that Chintan had sent the maintenance cheque to Hema which was received by her only in the afternoon of the day of her murder.
