Ludhiana court denies pre-arrest bail to two suspects in Rs 40-lakh cheating case

A local court denied anticipatory bail to two accused in Rs 40-lakh cheating case holding that the application without disclosure of criminal antecedents was not maintainable.

The case pertaining to allegations of misappropriation of property and loan funds also includes criminal breach of trust charges.

The order was passed by Additional Sessions Judge Jagdeep Sood while dismissing bail plea of Avon Sehgal and Tatum Sehgal, who were booked at the Daresi police station on the complaint of Deepak Luthra.

The court observed the allegations pertaining to a white-collar crime required thorough investigation and held custodial interrogation of the suspects was necessary.

The court noted a previous FIR registered against one of the applicants had not been disclosed in the bail application. Referring to a recent Supreme Court judgment, and High Court rules and order, the court held disclosure of criminal antecedents was mandatory in bail proceedings.

According to the prosecution, the complainant alleged his maternal relatives gained his confidence and obtained his signatures on blank papers after the death of his father in March 2022.

He alleged the accused secured a loan of Rs 40 lakh from a finance company by mortgaging the complainant’s plot and later transferred substantial amounts into their own accounts and those of their family members. The complainant added that a car valued at Rs 6.25 lakh was also misappropriated.

Opposing the bail plea, the state submitted that nearly Rs 29.60 lakh from the loan amount had allegedly been diverted into accounts of the applicants and their relatives. The prosecution argued custodial interrogation was essential to trace the money and uncover the conspiracy.