Chandigarh cop gets bail in property grab case

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, September 28

The Punjab and Haryana High Court today granted bail to UT Police Inspector Rajdeep Singh in connection with an alleged property grab case.

Justice Harnaresh Singh Gill asserted his role as a key conspirator in the matter was to be determined during the trial on the basis of evidence.

2017 ‘illegal’ possession

• Accused allegedly entered victim Rahul Mehta’s Sector 37 house and took possession of its first floor in March 2017
• They took his signatures on papers after torture. Mehta was later abandoned in Gujarat
• Mehta’s imposter was produced before Sub-Registrar’s office during execution of sale deed
• Cops claimed forged documents were submitted in Estate Office for transfer of house

Justice Gill also made it clear the same could not be either gone into or adjudicated upon by the High Court in the present bail matter.

Besides, the petitioner had been in custody since March 15, 2021. The co-accused — Satpal Dagar, Manish Gupta, Saurabh Gupta and Arvind Singla — had already been granted the concession of regular bail.

The High Court, in a related matter, had earlier observed the house was apparently allotted by the Chandigarh Administration to Santosh Mehta on a leasehold basis pursuant to an auction.

She was said to have expired in October 1986. The property after her death was stated to be in possession of her husband Ved Parkash Mehta, who expired in 2017. After his death, certain accused, along with Surjit Bouncer, allegedly took forcible possession of the house.

Surjit preferred a civil suit on January 17, 2017, which was decreed the very next day as Rahul Mehta — Santosh Mehta’s son — allegedly appeared and admitted the tenancy. He was restrained from forcibly dispossessing plaintiff Surjit from the suit property.

Rahul was stated to be keeping “indifferent physical and mental health” and the accused allegedly took advantage. They kept him in a solitary confinement and he was allegedly administered intoxicating substances and kept in the state of delirium.

Justice Gill added the UT counsel had laid emphasis on the non-examination of Rahul Mehta and apprehended the petitioner, if released on bail, would make all out efforts to either win over the witness or tamper with the evidence. “Yet, this court has been informed said Rahul Mehta is police protection”.

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