Firm director arrested over defective and unsafe window installation work at south Mumbai duplex, interior designer alleges loss of Rs 72 lakh

Mumbai: More than three months after a cheating case was registered against two directors of a window system company based on the complaint of an interior designer alleging financial loss of over Rs 72 lakh due to defective and unsafe installation work at a duplex on Nepean Sea Road, Dadar police arrested one of them.Police arrested Ravi Panjwani (57) from a hotel in Lonavla on Saturday, and produced him before a local court, which remanded him to police custody till Monday.Police said complainant, who is employed with Beauvue Stiledivita, had engaged Yantra Aluminium Window System, represented by directors Panjwani and Nikhil Daswani, for the installation of “European-standard” premium aluminium profile window systems, including advanced sliding and hidden-track windows for a duplex on the 21st and 22nd floors of Asiana building. The work order was issued for Rs 34.8 lakh.However, after installation, the homeowners allegedly complained of serious defects in the windows, including water leakage during rain, loud whistling sounds due to wind pressure, faulty locking systems and unsafe fittings.Police said the windows had to be repeatedly removed and reinstalled, while repair attempts allegedly failed despite multiple visits by the company’s technicians. The complainant alleged that the homeowners were forced to temporarily shift to a five-star hotel during the repair work, while painting and surrounding civil work also had to be redone multiple times.An independent audit conducted through other interior and window system firms concluded that the installation was structurally unsafe and functionally inadequate. According to the complaint, the audit noted improper drainage systems, defective inter-locks, badly installed gaskets, malfunctioning lock receivers, poor silicone application and substandard finishing work.The interior designer alleged that due to the defective work, he was forced to refund Rs 41.5 lakh to the homeowner for the failed window system and incurred an additional Rs 35 lakh towards removal, replacement, civil repairs and restoration work. He claimed the incident severely damaged his company’s reputation and caused losses exceeding Rs 72 lakh.