Pratap Bhogilal Journey Through Life

Author(s): Rauf Ahmed
Publisher: Bhupendra Singh Anand

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PRATAP BHOGILAL - JOURNEY THROUGH LIFE
As Mehta was away, Bapaji began going to SRM every morning. On pay-day, it was customary for the chief accountant to go to the RBI accompanied by two peons to bring money - about Rs. 90,000 - to pay salaries and wages to the staff. The accountant and one peon would hold the satchel of currency notes while the other peon would go to collect the coins. Bapaji was in office when the chief accountant, who had gone to the RBI to bring the cash, called to say that somebody had given him something (which made him temporarily unconscious) and run away with the satchel containing Rs. 90,000 which he had just withdrawn. Shocked, Bapaji rushed to the bank. He quickly assessed the situation on the spot and felt instinctively that the accountant's story lacked crediblity. He also discovered that the accountant had taken only one guard with him that day instead of the customary two. It didn't take him long to guess that something was amiss. Soon the police arrived and Bapaji asked them to search the accountant thoroughly when he was taken to the police station, the cops during the search found some credit notes in the accountant's pocket drawn in favour of P.N. Mehta & Co. on account of the machinery purchased for Shree Ram Mills. Incidentally, I may mention that the accountant was also the accountant of P.N. Mehta's firm.
The episode disillusioned Bapaji. He was deeply hurt that his trust had been betrayed, and he decided that he could no longer be a partner with Mehta. "Either you take over the mill or I will," he told Mehta. Somehow Mehta didn't think Bapaji could raise the money to buy him off. But Bapaji was sure about what he wanted to do. He met Mehta at solicitor Nadirsha Mulla's office (Mulla & Mulla) for negotiations and a price was fixed for Bapaji to buy over P.N. Mehta's share holding in Shree Ram Mills. He then approached Sohrab Pochkhanawala, the then Chairman and General Manager of Central Bank of India, for a Rs. 20 Lakh credit. At that time there were no stringent guidelines and the Chairman of a bank could decide on the credit limit to be given based on the integrity and credibility of the applicant. Bapaji was granted the credit limit he had sought without any fuss and he bought over Mehta's shares in SRM.
Give me the liberty to know, to utter and to argue freely according to conscience,
above all liberties - John Milton