CBI books Chandigarh based Lawyer in Rs 30 crore Plot Grab Case

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The Central Bureau of Investigation has booked taxation lawyer Kapil Khanna & Sector 11 resident Amardeep Singh Brar in connection with filing a “forged” writ petition before the High Court of Punjab and Haryana in an alleged attempt to grab Rs 30-crore plot in the city’s upscale Sector 5. 

The forged plea (CWP no 9464 of 2020) was drafted by Lawyer Anadeshwar Gautam at the instance of Brar, who approached him with Khanna, according to the preliminary inquiry conducted by CBI.

“During a discussion, they (Khanna & Brar) informed him (Gautam) that Padamjit Singh (50% owner of the property) has entered into a settlement with Peshaura Singh Thind regarding the sale of his interest & title in the suit property, for which he is purposed to have executed some GPA or SPA, though documents were not produced before him (Gautam). Brar had paid Rs 50,000 to Gautam as legal fee,” said the CBI probe. 

The CBI registered the FIR on March 24 under Sections 120-B, 204, 205, 420, 466, 467, 468 & 471 for criminal conspiracy, cheating, false personation for purpose of act or proceedings in suit or prosecution, preparation of forged document & destruction of documents to prevent its production as evidence & abuse of official position as public servant. Some Sections of Prevention of Corruption Act were also added in the FIR that named Khanna, son of Brij Mohan Khanna of Sector 9, Brar, son of Darshan Singh Brar of Sector 11, unknown public servant & unknown others.

The FIR was registered by Ashwin Shenvi, senior IPS & head of Chandigarh branch of CBI in compliance of the directions issued by the high court in October last year.

The CBI inquiry said the ‘vakalatnama’ & accompanying affidavit with the petition filed through Gautam did not bear the original signature of Padamjit Singh.

The initial probe had also revealed that a false email purported to be of Padamjit Singh was created & used to send email to the estate office, UT.

The CBI probe had revealed that in the estate office, original file pertaining to the property — H No 17, Sector 5 A, Chandigarh, was got issued by Chappi Rajneesh Krishan, the then junior assistant, estate office, UT, on June 12, 2012. Since June 12, 2012, whereabouts of the file is not known. The estate office reconstructed the file in 2018 & processed the matter pertaining to transfer of 50% share in favour of Padamjit Singh & 50% share in favour of Mary Singh, wife of late Kanwal Sunder Singh (brother of Padamjit Singh) & her two children Meera & Nicholas.

In this case, Padamjit Singh, 84, who is settled in the US, was shocked to know that a petition number 9464/ 2020 was filed before the HC on July 3, 2020, in his name by forging documents in relation to his share in the controversial property. Later, he had filed an application before the HC revealing the fraud & forgery in his name after which the HC had ordered CBI probe in the matter.

The dispute pertains to ownership of house number 17 in Sector 5 having value of around Rs 30 crore. Padamjit’s father, Sunder Singh, was the owner of the house. After his death in 1986, the house became a property of Padamjit Singh & his brother Kanwar Sunder Singh, with 50% share each. Although the family of Padamjit’s brother had filed a suit related to full ownership of the house, Padamjit had won the case. Later, Padamjit had sold his share to Pritam Kaur, wife of Peshaura Singh Thind. Even a sale deed was also executed by him in favour of Pritam Kaur.

However, Padamjit came to know from Pritam Kaur’s son Rupinder Singh Thind that a petition was filed before the court on his behalf in which he has been claiming that he is still an owner of 50% share of the house & never sold his share to anyone. The matter was sent to CBI on Padamjit’s original petition.

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