More than six years after veteran actor Nimmi passed away in March 2020, her former caretaker has been booked by the Mumbai police for allegedly misappropriating her properties, bank deposits and jewellery. The Santacruz police registered an FIR against Asrar Iqbal Shaikh on November 11, accusing him of taking control of the late actor’s assets for personal benefit instead of handing them over to her legal heirs, including her adopted son’s family.According to the FIR, Shaikh worked for Nimmi from 2003 until her death, according to a report by Hindustan Times. He allegedly took possession of two flats in Juhu, two fixed deposits collectively worth nearly Rs 2 crore and several pieces of jewellery while the Bombay High Court was yet to validate her will. The complaint also alleges that Shaikh proposed an equal division of the assets between himself and Nimmi’s heir. When the proposal was rejected, he allegedly threatened Mohammad Yunus Salim Durrani, the person authorised to represent the family.The police have booked Shaikh under Sections 404 (dishonest misappropriation of property possessed by a deceased person), 406 (criminal breach of trust), 420 (cheating), 465 (forgery), 467 (forgery of valuable security, will, etc.), 468 (forgery for the purpose of cheating) and 471 (using a forged document as genuine) of the Indian Penal Code.Durrani, who filed the complaint, is Nimmi’s nephew and runs a two-wheeler garage in Girgaon. His grandfather, GM Durrani, was a playback singer in Bollywood, and the family settled in Mumbai after Independence. His grandmother’s sister, Wahidan Bi, later moved to the city with her daughter Nawab Banu, who went on to become popular as Nimmi.Nimmi began her acting career with a small role in ‘Barsaat’ (1949) and eventually established herself as one of the leading actresses of her generation. She worked with several prominent stars, including Dev Anand, Raj Kapoor and Dilip Kumar. She later married renowned screenwriter Ali Raza.In 2003, the couple purchased two flats in Neha Apartment, a residential complex on Juhu Tara Road in Santacruz West. Both properties were registered in Nimmi’s name. That same year, they also employed Shaikh as domestic help.In his complaint to the Santacruz police in 2020, Durrani stated that Nimmi had been living alone in her Juhu apartments following Ali Raza’s death on November 1, 2007. As she was ageing and required regular medical attention, she opened joint bank accounts with Shaikh under an ‘either or survivor’ operating mandate. This arrangement allowed Shaikh to manage her financial transactions, which he continued to handle until her death on March 25, 2020, due to Covid-19.Durrani further stated that Nimmi had prepared a will before her death, the legal validation of which is still pending before the Bombay High Court. Shaikh was reportedly one of the witnesses to the document. Under the will, Nimmi had bequeathed her assets, including fixed deposits of Rs 1.23 crore and Rs 54 lakh, the two Juhu flats and certain jewellery, to her adopted son, Ali Sayyed Parvez. He was the biological son of her sister, Shabab Bano.The will also specified that following Parvez’s death, the assets would pass on to his wife and children. However, Parvez, who lived in Britain, died of Covid-19 on December 28, 2020. The complaint alleges that instead of transferring the inheritance to his family, Shaikh took control of Nimmi’s assets.Parvez’s wife, Salma Neki Parveen, and their children also lived in Britain. Since travelling to India repeatedly to deal with the legal proceedings and property dispute would have been difficult for them, she authorised Durrani to handle the matter on their behalf. A power of attorney was subsequently executed in his favour, following which he approached the Santacruz police.The FIR further states that after Durrani lodged the complaint in 2020, Shaikh approached him with a proposed settlement. He allegedly suggested selling the properties and dividing the proceeds equally between the two. Durrani refused the offer, following which Shaikh allegedly resorted to threats and intimidation.