Interim bail for AAP leader

Chandigarh, September 25

In a property purchase dispute between a political leader and a former bureaucrat, the Punjab and Haryana High Court has granted interim bail to Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Yogeshwar Sharma, who unsuccessfully contested the Assembly elections from the Panchkula seat in 2019. Appearing before Justice Sudhir Mittal’s Bench on Sharma’s behalf, senior advocate Bipan Ghai and Paras Talwar submitted that the dispute was regarding the sale of 50 per cent share in a Sector 46 shop-cum-office.

The complainant, former IAS officer Harjeet Singh, had agreed to purchase 50 per cent share in the SCO vide an agreement to sell dated February 14, 2016, for Rs3.68 crore. Ghai argued that the registration of an FIR was an abuse of the criminal court process. The petitioner was ready and willing to get the sale deed executed and there was no criminal intent involved when the agreement was executed.

Ghai submitted that he was willing to get a certificate from the Estate Office within six weeks regarding the absence of encumbrance upon the property and that it had no objection to the execution of 50 per cent share.

Complainant’s counsel Jasjit Singh Bedi and Sunil Sihag said they had no objection to the grant of bail to the petitioner in case such a certificate could be produced within six weeks. Bedi added that the petitioner was bound to pay 18 per cent interest in accordance with the pact.

Fixing the case for November 5, Justice Mittal asserted: “The petitioner be released on interim bail up to November 6, subject to the satisfaction of the trial court/duty magistrate. The court shall also impose a condition for deposit of the passport.” — TNS