Caretaker booked for allegedly stealing Rs 1.77 crore from late actress Nimmi's bank accounts

Mumbai police have registered a case against a former domestic help and caretaker for allegedly siphoning off fixed deposits worth Rs 1.77 crore left behind by late Bollywood actress Nimmi. The actress, whose real name was Nawab Banu, died on March 25, 2020.

The Assets And The Will

According to the First Information Report, the dispute involves two flats and two parking spaces in Neha Apartment on Juhu Tara Road, along with fixed deposits of Rs 1.23 crore in the State Bank of India and Rs 54 lakh in Saraswat Bank. The actress and her husband, scriptwriter Ali Raza, had bought the flats in 2003. After her husband died in 2007, Nimmi lived alone and added her caretaker, Asrar Sheikh, to her bank accounts to help her manage money when she travelled for medical care. Before her death, Nimmi made a will naming Gurpal Singh Harban Singh Sachar as its executor and her adopted son, Ali Sayyed Parvez, as a beneficiary. Parvez later died of Covid-19 in the UK in December 2020, and his wife and children are now entitled to his share under the will.

The Allegations

The complaint was filed by Mohammad Yunus Salim Durrani, a relative of the family who holds a power of attorney from Parvez's wife. The FIR alleges that after the actress died, Sheikh misused his access to withdraw the fixed deposits, sold her Maruti Suzuki Ciaz car for scrap, and tried to take over the two flats. The Santacruz police filed the case against Sheikh under the Indian Penal Code because the alleged crimes happened before the new criminal laws came into effect. Legal matters regarding the will are currently pending in the Bombay High Court.

Context

Caretakers and domestic staff are often given joint account access or power of attorney by elderly individuals who need help with daily banking and medical chores. When proper legal oversight or updating of accounts is absent after a person passes away, it can lead to financial disputes among rightful heirs and executors.