Bhagtani Victims' Voices #3: Shalin Agrawal, a cheated ad agency in Serena project

Flat buyers aren't the only victims of Bhagtani builders. Vendors, lenders and contractors have also been cheated out of crores of rupees. So far, most of them have maintained a stoic silence. But one vendor is now going public with his story -- Shalin Agrawal of Spectrumm Services, who lost over Rs 15 lakh by advertizing Bhagtani Serena project on hoardings on buses and at railway station.

Sir, I am into Advertising & Printing Business. I did 2-3 campaign for Jaycee Homes and their group companies like MD Devcon & Unit One Inc Media Services since 2014. In May-June 2016, they approached me for hoardings and other marketing activities of another project in Mira Road East called Serena. Looking to their previous history for late payment, I refused to do it. To persuade me to take up the job, they gave two months post-dated cheques (PDCs) from ‘Jaycee Home’ for Rs. 13.68 lacs, and so I took the order. In the meanwhile, I also did some printing jobs of Rs. 1.42 lacs. Later, they informed me that they had registered a new firm for the project called ‘Unit One Inc Media Services’ and accordingly, they said that they would issue new cheques. But even after three months of the original cheque dates, they didn’t issue these payments on one pretext or another.

I deposited the original cheques and they got bounced with the reason of ‘Stop Payment’ -- a clear indication of their bad intentions. 

For many months, I kept sending them mails and struggling to get in touch over phone, while they kept buying time.

For me, Diwali of 2016 is painful to remember. To give you some idea of the financial pressure suffered by me, here is a sample of email correspondence at that time:

---------- Forwarded message ----------

On Mon, Nov 7, 2016 at 6:52 PM, Spectrumm <spectrummservices@yahoo.com> wrote:

Dear Sheela / Arya

Reminder 4...Awaiting Payments / Reply on my below mail please

Kindly understand, that I am in big trouble as Vendors came during Diwali day also and completely ruined  my & my family festival.

I humbly request your Directors Mr Mukesh Bhagtani & Mr Dipesh Bhagtani to kindly put themselves in my shoes for a minute and help me getting out of this situation by releasing atleast 50% out of my 15.25 lacs so that I also start giving instalments to all my vendors by dividing them the amount I receive from you

It's a sincere & very humble request please to atleast reply to this mail, so that I can show it to my vendors please

Thanks & Regards

Shalin M Agrawal

# 91-9920900041

www.spectrummservices.com

http://www.facebook.com/spectrummindia

From: Spectrumm [mailto:spectrummservices@yahoo.com]
Sent: 25 October 2016 19:40
To: 'Marketing My Serenahome'
Cc: 'Sheela S'; 'Arya Bhowmik'
Subject: FW: Our Outstanding Payments

Dear Sheela / Arya

In continuation to my below mails and messages, I wish to submit as under:

1. We are working for your company since last 2 years. Our track record is always humble and submissive.

2. Our capacity to sustain heavy outstanding is not there and hence while accepting your latest orders, I refrained to even give my quotation, but due to persuasion by both of you and also Mr Mukesh Tiwari, I proceeded in the matter but that too on receipt of PDCs.

3. Based on the above, I gave my offer with minimum margins and also promising my suppliers for payments accordingly

4. I never had any doubt that company of your size and reputation will ever tell me for delaying the payments even after PDCs

5. Promises to my vendors were firm only because I had PDCs in my hand, but it is quite hurting that over and above delaying payments, even the 2nd time promise made by your directors in person during the meeting are also not honoured. Don't you feel that breaking of such promises will break the back bone of your small vendors like myself ?

6. You will appreciate that, me being very small person, it is very difficult for me to keep my suppliers on hold.

7. Coming to my office (where in my house is also inter connected) and shouting by my vendors was obvious from their side, but extremely difficult for me to face the situation as family including my kids were listening their shouting and abuses

8. Frustrations due to point 6 above was obvious at my end and that is how I could not control myself while talking to you and your Director Mr Mukesh Bhagtani sir. I hope, this should be understood properly at your end and should not be taken personally and wrongly by any of you two.

I hope, that you will put yourself in my shoes for a moment and will realise my situation and will definitely try to release my payments at the earliest.

Thanks & Regards

Shalin M Agrawal

# 91-9920900041

www.spectrummservices.com

http://www.facebook.com/spectrummindia  

_______________________________________________________

From: Marketing My Serenahome <marketing@myserenahome.com>
To: <spectrummservices@yahoo.com>
Date: Mon, 17 Oct 2016 16:26:32 +0530
Subject: Re: Outstanding Payments over over due

Dear Shalin,

We really appreciate your patience and would request you to please co-operate with us more. We will try to release below mentioned dues within this month.

Regards 

Team Marketing

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Finally, after all such correspondence failed, I sent them a legal notice as per section 138 rules. As there was no reply from them, I filed a case for cheque bouncing in January 2017 with Andheri court. Till date, even after three court dates, the court has still not verified the papers and therefore, Bhagtanis have not yet been served summons. I am awaiting the next date on 6th December 2017. 

The Bhagtanis know how our legal system operates, and so they take vendors like us for a ride.

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Written by Shalin Agrawal of Spectrumm Services

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ISSUED IN PUBLIC INTEREST BY
Krishnaraj Rao
9821588114
krish.kkphoto@gmail.com