Filmmakar Sajid Nadiadwala and leading criminal lawyer Majeed Memon are among the 46 defaulters who have failed to pay a total of Rs 51 lakh for police protection till January end, an RTI query has revealed.
"Sajid Nadiadwala needs to pay Rs 1.22 lakh, while Majeed Memon's dues amount to Rs 1.31 lakh. Other defaulters, who continue to enjoy security as on January 31, are builders Abhinandan Lodha (with dues Rs 65,000), Abhishek Lodha (Rs 65,000) and Vivek Mehnaani (Rs 1.31 lakh)," claimed RTI activist Chetan Kothari, who sought the information.
The RTI figures also revealed that security of 18 defaulters among 46 had been withdrawn by March 2012 after reviewing threat to them, but they are yet to pay their dues amounting to Rs 26.27 lakh.
These include Shiv Sena leader Mohan Rawale, with dues amounting to Rs 1.66 lakh, and traders association member Viren Shah with his dues of Rs 88,000.
"All the defaulters are earning in lakhs and they can afford private security. I wonder why the security of Nadiadwala, Memon and the builders was not withdrawn for not making the payment," Kothari said.
The defaulters collectively owe Rs 51 lakh to Mumbai police, he added.
One or more constables, wielding firearms, are usually deployed for the protection of an individual after gauging the seriousness of the threat, police said.
"A notice is usually sent to the protectees for the payment. However, a decision to withdraw the security is not taken because of non-payment of dues. The security should be continued to any individual or not depends upon the gravity of threat faced that person," a senior police official said.
Meanwhile, when contacted, lawyer Majeed Memon said, "I am not in arrears of any amount as I had not asked for security. It (the security) was given by police themselves.
