Delhi Court Orders FIR Against Former Employees of Fashion Designer for Criminal Breach of Trust

A Delhi court has directed the Delhi Police to file an FIR against former employees of eminent and renowned fashion designer Pallavi Mohan for criminal breach of trust. Pallavi Mohan, known for her brand “Not So Serious,” recently filed a complaint alleging misconduct by the employees.

Pallavi Mohan’s complaint alleges that her former employees, Manu Uniyal and Surender Kumar, secretly accepted orders from her clients. They reportedly manufactured high-end ladies’ garments using the “Not So Serious” brand name, design, and materials, diverting payments to their own accounts and those of their family members and associated companies, including Kalpana Uniyal and Manusmriti Ayurveda Pvt. Ltd.

The complaint also includes allegations of forgery and record fabrication.

The complaint further alleges that the proceeds from the illicit activities were transferred to accounts belonging to relatives, including Gunja Devi, Kumudh Kumari, Nand Kishore, Rachit Uniyal, and Shashank Raturi. It accuses them of conspiring to defraud Pallavi Mohan and her family-owned firms, Not So Serious Trading LLP and Magnolia Martinque Clothing Pvt. Ltd. The alleged offenses fall under Sections 408 (criminal breach of trust), 420 (cheating), and 120B (criminal conspiracy) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).
Pallavi Mohan alleged that, despite her initial complaint to the Delhi Police, no FIR was registered. Consequently, she filed a petition under Section 156(3) of the Criminal Procedure Code through her advocates, Sumit Gehlot and Nikhil Bhalla of Fidelegal Advocates & Solicitors, requesting the court to direct the police to register an FIR in the matter.

On October 4, 2024, Judge Akshay Sharma of Saket Court noted in his order that the accuseds, as permanent employees of Pallavi Mohan, had begun a parallel business during their employment. They allegedly designed and manufactured garments under the same label as the complainant and sold these products to her clients.

The court observed that the police inquiry, along with bank statements from the accuseds and the complainant’s vendors, supported Pallavi Mohan’s claims. As a result, the court determined that a cognizable offense of criminal breach of trust by a servant, punishable under Section 408 of the IPC, had been committed.

The court directed to the concerned SHO to register an FIR against the accuseds and to submit a compliance report at the next hearing. Mohan is represented by advocates Sumit Gehlot and Nikhil Bhalla from Fidelegal Advocates & Solicitors.