Whiff of family feud in Mafatlal arrest

Mumbai: A whiff of the bitter feud within the Mafatlal clan surrounds the arrest of entrepreneur and socialite Sheetal Mafatlal, the sassy bahu of the family who brought upscale brands like Valentino to India.
Sheetal, the second wife of Mafatlal heir Atulya Mafatlal, has been sent to judicial custody for four days for allegedly under-declaring jewellery and accessories she was bringing into India.
Sheetal is president of Mafatlal Luxury, which introduced high-end fashion brands such as Valentino in India. Valentino belongs to the Marzotto group, which owns brands like Hugo Boss and Missoni.
Customs officials at Mumbai’s Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport detained the celebrity businesswoman yesterday after she arrived from London on a British Airways flight.
Based on a tip-off that Sheetal, an NRI, was carrying valuables worth lakhs, officials from the customs air intelligence unit caught her after she crossed the green channel, meant for passengers carrying items within the permissible limit.
Sheetal was found to have 51 items of personal accessories and jewellery, which she said was worth Rs 20,000. On investigation, customs officials valued them at Rs 53.67 lakh, which would entail a duty of Rs 18 lakh.
Lawyer Satish Mane-Shinde, appearing for the London-based entrepreneur, said she had inherited the jewellery and valuables from her father-in-law and they were for her personal use. Speaking to reporters outside the court, Mane-Shinde alleged that a “disgruntled opponent” could be behind the arrest, triggering speculation that a family member could have tipped off the customs authorities.
Since 2005, Sheetal and her husband have been embroiled in a bitter family battle with Atulya’s mother and Mafatlal matriarch Madhuri, who accused the couple of trying to evict her and other family members from the sprawling Mafatlal home in south Mumbai.
08/06/09 The Telegraph

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Categories: Airports Jun 2009