Delhi HC grants interim relief to Gautam Gambhir, stays order against him in cheating case
New Delhi, Nov 18: The proceedings in a cheating case against former cricketer and Indian coach Gautam Gambhir will remain stayed, the Delhi High Court ordered on Monday.
Justice Manoj Kumar Ohri passed the interim order on a plea by Gambhir challenging the sessions court verdict.
The sessions court had set aside a judicial magistrate's order that had discharged him in the case in which some home buyers were allegedly cheated.
Granting the relief to Gambhir, who is presently in Australia as the head coach of the Indian cricket team, the high court also sought response of the Delhi Police on his plea and listed the matter for further hearing on January 31, 2025.
"In the meantime, the impugned order against the petitioner shall remain stayed," the judge said, and added that it will pass a detailed order.
Gambhir was represented by senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi and lawyer Paritosh Budhiraja.
In its October 29 order, the sessions court said the magisterial court's decision reflected "inadequate expression of mind" in deciding the allegations against Gambhir.
"The allegations also merit further investigation into the role of Gautam Gambhir," it had said.
The sessions court had remanded the case back to the magisterial court, directing it to pass a detailed fresh order.
The cheating case was filed against real estate firms Rudra Buildwell Realty Pvt Ltd, H R Infracity Pvt Ltd, U M Architectures and Contractors Ltd and Gambhir, who was a director and brand ambassador of the companies' joint venture.
The accused had reportedly jointly promoted and advertised an upcoming housing project at Indirapuram in Uttar Pradesh's Ghaziabad called 'Serra Bella' in 2011 which was renamed in 2013 as 'Pavo Real'.
The prosecution alleged the complainants booked flats in the projects and paid various amounts, ranging between Rs 6 lakh and Rs 16 lakh after being lured by the advertisements and brochures.
However, even after the payments, no infrastructural or other significant development was made on the plot in question and the land remained bereft of any progress till 2016, the time of making of the complaint, it added.
The complainants, it alleged, subsequently learnt the proposed project was neither developed according to the site plan nor approved by the competent state government authorities.
The companies purportedly stopped entertaining queries and phone calls from the complainants, who further learnt the site of the housing project in question was embroiled in litigation and a stay order had been passed by the Allahabad High Court over the possession of the land in 2003.
The sessions court had noted that Gambhir was the only one who had a "direct interface with the investors" in his capacity as a brand ambassador and though he had been discharged, the magisterial court's order made no reference to him paying Rs 6 crore to Rudra Buildwell Realty Pvt Ltd and receiving Rs 4.85 crore from the company.
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Ex-Maharashtra home minister Anil Deshmukh seriously hurt in stone pelting on his car
Nagpur, Nov 18: Former Maharashtra Home Minister and NCP (SP) leader Anil Deshmukh was seriously injured after stones were hurled at his car in Nagpur district on Monday night, police said.
The incident occurred around 8 pm when Deshmukh was returning to Katol after attending a meeting in Narkhed village.
Some unidentified persons threw stones at Deshmukh's car near Belphata on the Jalalkheda Road near Katol. Deshmukh, who sustained injuries during the attack, was immediately rushed to the Katol Civil Hospital, police said.
Nagpur Rural Superintendent of Police, Harssh Poddar, confirmed the incident. He said senior officers were rushed to the spot.
"An investigation has begun. Police are trying to identify those responsible for the attack," he said.
The incident occurred on the last day of campaigning for the November 20 Maharashtra assembly elections.
Deshmukh's son Salil Deshmukh is contesting from the Katol assembly constituency on the NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar) ticket against BJP's Charansingh Thakur.
नागपुर के पास काटोल में NCP शरद पवार गुट के नेता अनिल देशमुख पर हुआ हमला#AnilDeshmukh | Anil Deshmukh | #Maharashtra pic.twitter.com/Fg16WRa66u
— News24 (@news24tvchannel) November 18, 2024
#BREAKING 🚨 | Former Home Minister Anil Deshmukh was injured in a stone-pelting attack on Katol-Jalalkheda Road after a rally. His vehicle was damaged, and he received emergency treatment.#AnilDeshmukh #AttackonAnilDeshmukh #Katoljalalkhedaroad #attack pic.twitter.com/5WxQrMxGU0
— Lokmat Times Nagpur (@LokmatTimes_ngp) November 18, 2024
