Police guard outside the door of the Torres Group’s Dadar office in Mumbai. (Source: Express Files)
A Mumbai sessions court accepted a request by Tazagul Xasatov, a Ukrainian national accused in connection with the Torres ponzi scheme case, to access an English-Russian dictionary while in prison. The court recognized her right to be informed about the charges and accusations against her.
Xasatov was arrested in January 2025 and is detained in the Byculla women’s prison.
When requesting permission to access the dictionary, he argued that he is not fluent in English and needs the dictionary to understand the legal process and communicate effectively.
The prosecution opposed his request, claiming that access to the dictionary could allow him to help other defendants and “cause disruption” in the investigation. They also noted that he has lived in India for several years and understands English and Hindi.
“The applicant/accused is entitled to get knowledge of the charges and allegations leveled against her. The applicant is already in judicial custody, therefore, there is no question of tampering in the investigation. The applicant is only seeking the use of the dictionary to know the allegations against her. There is nothing on record to negate the prayer made by the applicant/accused. No prejudice will be caused if the applicant/accused has been provided with a dictionary/book for translation from English to Russian,” said Special Judge RB Rote in the order on January 9.
“The prison authority will allow the applicant to use a dictionary/book to translate from English to Russian as requested,” the court stated.
Xasatov was among those arrested in the Torres Ponzi scheme case, where more than 11,300 investors were duped of Rs 120 million, according to the Bombay Policy.
Story continues below this ad.
The Mumbai Police first registered a case on January 6, 2025, when 38 victims reported a total loss of Rs 13.48 crore after the accused company, Platinum Hern Pvt Ltd, which runs jewelery brand Torres, promised them high-return investment opportunities.
The Mumbai Police’s Economic Offenses Wing (EOW) and the Enforcement Directorate have filed separate cases against Xasatov and others, alleging involvement in a Ponzi scheme run by Platinum Hern Pvt Ltd. Their bail plea was rejected last year. The trial has not yet started and some defendants are still at large.
Investors were promised high returns, but after making initial payments, the company stopped doing so from December 2024, leading to complaints from investors, police said.