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Fraud: HC grants bail to P’kula resident

CHANDIGARH: Three years after Panchkula resident Om Parkash Chopra was booked following complaints of cheating in a case revolving around providing land to people in Ghaziabad, the Punjab and Haryana High Court has granted regular bail to him.

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Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, December 10

Three years after Panchkula resident Om Parkash Chopra was booked following complaints of cheating in a case revolving around providing land to people in Ghaziabad, the Punjab and Haryana High Court has granted regular bail to him.

Chopra was seeking bail in a case registered on December 5, 2015, under Sections 420 and 120-B of the Indian Penal Code at the Sector 19 police station.

Claiming false implication in the case, his counsel had submitted before Justice Daya Chaudhary’s Bench that the petitioner was not at fault. He made all efforts for getting the land registered in the name of a society. Symbolic possession of the land was also given subsequently. The delay occurred because of dispute over the amount of stamp duty.

Referring to a subsequent decision taken at the state government level, he submitted that the stamp duty was to be paid, though earlier it was the other way round. The delay, he reiterated, was in the payment of stamp duty.

The counsel also submitted that the land was now in the society’s name. He added the petitioner was in custody for the last more than eight months. The offence was triable by magistrate. After presentation of challan, charges had been framed, but even a single witness was not examined so far. The trial may, as such, take long to conclude and useful purpose would not be served by keeping the petitioner behind bars.

Opposing the plea, the counsel for respondent-UT submitted that several complaints were made against the petitioner.

Taking up the matter, Justice Chaudhary took into consideration the custody period of the petitioner, while refusing to express anything on the merits of the case.

Justice Chaudhary added that the offence was triable by magistrate. Besides, not even a single witness had been examined so far. The society was in existence and the land was occupied by some illegal occupants.

“The allegations against the petitioner are to be tested during trial. The present petition is allowed and the petitioner, Om Parkash Chopra, is directed to be released on regular bail on his furnishing bail/surety bonds to the satisfaction of the trial court…”.

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