State Pays Rs 300,000 to Former BAI Executive in Arbitrary Arrest Settlement

The State has agreed to pay Brian Burns, the former Chief Executive Officer of Car Dealership Iframac Ltd, a settlement of Rs 300,000 to end a decade-long legal battle stemming from his arrest in connection with the BAI case.

The accord, ratified on Monday, October 6, 2025, sees the State agree to the payout in exchange for Mr. Burns dropping all further legal proceedings against them, officially bringing the contentious matter to a close.

Reduced Payout from Rs 40 Million Claim

Mr. Burns had initially sought Rs 40 million in damages for what he maintained was an arbitrary arrest.

The original claim targeted the State, the Commissioner of Police, and the ex-Assistant-Commissioner of Police, Heman Jangi.

The amicable settlement was reached before Chief Justice Bibi Rehana Mungly-Gulbul.

Me Mikash Hassamal, legal representative for Mr. Burns, and Me Doorgesh Kumar Manikaran, Acting Deputy Chief State Attorney, informed the Court that the out-of-court agreement had been concluded.

The Court accepted the offer and issued a judgment to formalise the agreement.

Background to the Arrest and Charges

The legal proceedings were initiated by Mr. Burns, who is also the son-in-law of Dawood Rawat, claiming he was arbitrarily arrested on May 25, 2015, as part of the police investigation into the BAI/Bramer group.

At the time of his arrest, four provisional charges were held against him:

• Fraudulent use of company property.
• Money laundering.
• Conspiracy.
• False declaration.

These provisional charges were subsequently struck out by the court on April 27, 2017.

Critically, no formal accusation has been retained against Mr. Burns to this day.

Judicial Timeline

The case has navigated several judicial stages over its ten-year course.

• On May 27, 2025, a settlement proposal was discussed before Judge Denis Mootoo.
• Me Mikash Hassamal confirmed an offer had been sent to State representatives, whose lawyer, Me Niroshini Ramsoondar, Deputy Solicitor General, awaited a written version.
• The matter was then called on July 17, 2025, before Pranay Sewpal, Acting Deputy Master and Registrar, and set for final settlement on September 25, 2025.

The agreement reached on Monday, October 6, definitively ends a decade of litigation.

Source: Defi Media