Mumbai: Self-proclaimed psychiatrist Sunil Kulkarni, who propagated liberation from societal rules to youngsters, was trying to set up an ice cream supply business in Mumbai, in the name of one of the young women under his influence, setting her to take the fall if things goes wrong, police sources told The Hindu on Monday.
Mr. Kulkarni, who was arrested by the Mumbai Police Crime Branch on April 20, is accused of trying to build a following by encouraging young men and women to follow their desires instead of being bound by rules, and also promised to help them realise their career aspirations, which their parents were opposed to.
The Crime Branch, in a search of his house, had found a memorandum of understanding with a Bhopal-based ice cream company, signed by one of the two sisters whose parents had moved court against Mr. Kulkarni.
“After the girl, in her statement, told us that she had not signed the MoU, nor did she have any idea about it, we interrogated Mr. Kulkarni again. He told us that he was trying to set up a business in Mumbai, obtaining ice cream from Bhopal and selling it in the city,” a Crime Branch officer said.
The girl has also said that she has never met the ice cream supplier.
“Investigations have established that Mr. Kulkarni had drafted the MoU in a way that set up the young girl to take the fall if thing went wrong. All the paper work was drawn up in her name, and she was referred to as an advocate. However, the girl, who is a law graduate, has told us that she is not using the prefix as she has not yet received her degree,” said the officer.
Mr. Kulkarni was finalising the details of the business so that he could make it operational as soon as possible. However, the Bombay High Court issued instructions for legal action against him, and he was arrested before he could succeed in the venture.
Mr. Kulkarni is now in judicial custody and the police will be filing a charge sheet against him within two months.
