On January 27, 2025 the Gamdevi police registered a case against celebrity chef Farrokh Khambata following a complaint by his wife Dilshad in which she claimed that he had taken loans from banks and other financial institutions making her a co-borrower without her knowledge by forging her signature, reported the Hindustan Times (HT) on January 28. The complaint also states that Farrokh made "false documents, forgery and forged documents or electronic records, using them as genuine.”
Dilshad said she became aware of the alleged irregularities after receiving calls from various banks and financial institutions between October and November 2024, regarding repayment of the loans because Farrokh had appended her mobile number to the documents. On seeking further information from a recovery agent who came to see her at her Altamont Road home, where she lives with her 23-year-old son, Dilshad discovered that copies of her Aadhar and PAN cards had also been shared to make her a co-borrower and that her signature had been allegedly forged.
Farrokh and Dilshad Khambata: alleged irregularities
A senior police officer elaborated: "When she contacted a finance company, she learnt that her husband had taken loans from four banks and five financial institutions, apparently without her knowledge. This was done between June and September 2024… We have booked him under sections 335 (making false documents), 336 (forgery) and 340-2 (forged document or electronic record and using it as genuine) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita,” reported HT.
Embarking on his culinary career in the 1990s, Farrokh carved out a niche for himself with his signature restaurants featuring varied cuisines as well as his catering services. Joss, Umame and Izaya, his Asian restaurants, and Amadeus at Nariman Point, which specialized in Mediterranean cuisine, will be remembered by many connoisseurs and celebrities who patronized them. Farrokh also started Jaan at the Penthouse, "a posh progressive Indian restaurant” in Dubai, noted HT. The couple soon became part of the social jet set in the metropolis.
Incidentally, on September 20, 2024 Dilshad had filed a missing persons complaint with the Gamdevi police as her husband had not come home since April 5, but the police failed to track him down through his phone calls, reported HT.
On January 29 this year, The Times of India picked up the story, reporting that a senior police officer had said that they are likely to issue a look-out circular (LOC) notice as Farrokh is believed to have fled the country. "His phone is switched off and there is no information about him,” the officer said. In its edition of the same day, The Free Press Journal reported that bank statements have been requested from two banks so that Dilshad’s purported signature can be sent for forensic examination.
Meanwhile, a Facebook post by the Philippine Retirement Authority (PRA) dated December 28, 2024 stated: "More than the beautiful sceneries and lush natural wonders, the goodness and kindness of the Filipino people is what makes PRA-retiree members like Farrokh Khambata choose the Philippines as their new home.” The post also featured a video of a cheerful Khambata explaining why he has chosen that country as his second home. He said: "To relax to chill, to have a good time and have good friends… I love to live in the Philippines.”