The five addresses that the `Mumbai-based businessman' had given to the police have been found to be bogus. He allegedly owes money running into lakhs of rupees to several people in Mumbai and the man himself is missing, say the police.

The witness, who was paraded at the Hauz Khas police station on January 16 before the press, has now in the eyes of the Delhi Police become a ``shady character''.

Kulkarni had claimed to have seen the accident on his way to the railway station. The then DCP, P K Srivastava, had said: ``This will help the police in a major way. We have verified Kulkarni's movements and his map meets with ours.''

Kulkarni, however, failed to receive the court summons which asked for his presence in the trial court on August 30. Now the police and Kulkarni are fighting. While police say that the witness has come under the influenceof the accused, Kulkarni says: ``I'll testify when the prosecution wants me to do so.''

Speaking to The Indian Express on Tuesday, Kulkarni said: ``I think the prosecution wants me to turn hostile. Therefore they picked me twice from the court premises, August 18 and August 30.'' The investigation report submitted to the court details Kulakarni's background.

The court summons issued to Kulkarni remained unserved. Reason: addresses given by Kulkarni to the police did not exist. According to the police investigations, one of them was: 44/16, Flat Number 16, 4th floor, Siddhivinayak Apartment, Veer Sawarkar Marg, Prabhadevi. The building does not have a fourth floor.

The address, to which the summons was sent -- 751/11, Khadi Number 3, Sakinaka, Mumbai -- also does not exist. According to the report, there in no 751/11 in Khadi Number 3. It is a jhuggi cluster.

After a door-to-door survey, the Delhi police team was able to find the address of Kulkarni's acquaintance, Ajeet Singh aliasBabaji. Kulkarni introduced himself to him as ``a very influential person in Mumbai''. They met each other through a common friend, Gauri Shankar Tiwari. The chance meeting was at an STD booth at Sakinaka.

Kulkarni told that he could sort any property disputes, the report says. Tiwari contacted Kulkarni for getting his plot vacated. Kulkarni apparently demanded Rs 1 lakh as advance. Tiwari told the police that Kulkarni transferred the power of attorney in his name to force him to pay the money.