Selling of aircraft: Mumbai EOW arrests businessman who duped Netherlands national of Rs 4.5 crore

Confirming the development, a senior EOW official told The Indian Express that an FIR was filed on the complaint of Vishal Shukla, the legal representative of Netherlands national Michiel Kneefel, who is the president and CEO of “Air BV Track”, which is into buying and selling of aircrafts. They also repair damaged, unrepaired and crashed aircrafts and sell them.

As per the FIR, Kneefel learned through news reports that in August 2018 an aircraft VT-UDN belonging to Supreme Transport Organisation Private Limited had crashed in Ganganagar Airport, Rajasthan. Kneefel contacted the director of the firm, Ammeet Agarwal, and asked him if he wanted to sell the aircraft. Agarwal agreed and also cancelled its Indian registration.

On July 20, 2022, the two parties entered into an aircraft purchase agreement for USD 5.50 lakh (equivalent to Rs 4.50 crore).

As part of the agreement, on August 5, 2022, Kneefel deposited USD 5.50 lakh in an ESCROW account (a common bank account mutually opened by two parties) belonging to Powell Aircraft Title Services, US.

According to the EOW, there is already a legal dispute between the directors of Supreme Transport Organisation Private Limited and the legal case pertaining to the dispute is already going on before the National Company Law Tribunal, due to which properties belonging to the company cannot be sold.

In December 2022, an application was moved before the court informing it that the aircraft VT-UDN of the company was being sold. However, the court ordered a status quo instructing the company not to sell it until the court takes a decision.

Kneefel was kept in the dark about the legal dispute regarding the aircraft, an EOW officer said. On the instructions of  Ammeet Agarwal, in January 2023, Kneefel sent USD 60,000 in the account of Supreme Transport Organisation Private Limited as Agarwal told him that he wanted to pay Jaipur Airport charges of the aircraft and also sent an invoice for the same, states the FIR.

The aircraft was packed and dispatched to Mundra Port in Gujarat from Jaipur airport in a container on February 7, 2023. Amit Agarwal then called Kneefel and asked him to send the rest of $4.90 lakh to the bank account of his uncle Natvarlal Tibrewal’s company Shorelight Limited in London, the FIR states. After informing the ESCROW account administrator, Kneefel transferred the money to the said account.

On May 4, 2023, Kneefel received an email from the Axis Bank Worli branch, informing him that while buying the aircraft, the Supreme Transport Organisation Private Limited had taken a credit loan of Rs 12.50 crore from their bank and Rs 10.49 crore was still outstanding. The bank also moved to DRT (Debts Recovery Tribunal) court in Mumbai to recover the loan amount and was in the process of seizing the aircraft.

Meanwhile, the other directors of Supreme Transport Organisation Private Limited (with whom Amit Agarwal has a dispute) approached the NCLT court in Mumbai and informed it that Ammeet Agarwal violated court’s order and was selling one of the companies properties (aircraft). The court then instructed the customs department to not to permit the aircraft to go out, the FIR states.

After discovering the dispute, Kneefel contacted  Ammeet Agarwal and asked him to return his money. However, Agarwal refused to return any money and told him that he would have to wait until the court matter is resolved.

The Netherlands national then directed his legal representative to file a police complaint. Acting on the complaint, EOW arrested Agarwal on Wednesday. He would be produced in the court on Thursday.

In April 2022, Agarwal, 35, was also arrested for allegedly functioning as an honorary consul of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) in India, despite the DRC government and the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) withdrawing his name from the post four years ago.

Honorary consuls generally enjoy social recognition and also have access to senior government officials and the global diplomatic community.