Gurmeet Singh v. State Of Punjab

-1IN THE HIGH COURT OF PUNJAB & HARYANA AT CHANDIGARH Date of Decision : 01.05.2015 Gurmeet Singh .....Petitioner

Versus

State of Punjab ....Respondent

CORAM:

HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE R.P. NAGRATH

Present:

Mr. Surinder Singh, Advocate for the petitioner.

Mr. Gurveer Sidhu, AAG, Punjab.

R.P. Nagrath, J. (Oral) Prayer in the instant petition is made for grant of prearrest bail under Section 438 Cr.P.C. in FIR No. 278 dated 03.12.2014 for offences under Sections 406, 420, 465, 467, 468, 471 and 120-B of Indian Penal Code (IPC), registered at Police Station Gobindgarh Mandi, District Fatehgarh Sahib. Learned counsel for the petitioner submits that in terms of interim directions, the petitioner has appeared before the investigating officer and when the questions were put to him in writing in deference to the order dated 20.02.2015, he denied his involvement.

I have heard learned counsel for the petitioner and the State counsel.

The fraud of ` 16 lacs was committed for getting loan from the bank in the name of Shishan Singh. It emerged during investigation that one Baldev Singh, who is yet to be arrested,

-2impersonated himself as Shishan Singh. As per CCTV footage, Jarnail Singh, Raghuvir Pandit @ Raghuvir Parkash, co-accused were also accompanying Baldev Singh. Jarnail Singh aforesaid was arrested whereas rest of the accused, namely; Baldev Singh and Raghuvir Pandit @ Raghuvir Parkash are yet to be arrested. As per investigation report, one Jaspal Singh was also involved in the matter. The petitioner is nephew of Shishan Singh aforesaid. As per reply filed by learned State counsel the call data collected shows that there are 288 calls between the petitioner and Jaspal Singh and 11 calls between Raghuvir Pandit @ Raghuvir Parash for the period from 01.06.2014 to 31.08.2014 and the incident is dated 22.07.2014, when the culprits withdrew the amount from the bank.

The petitioner is also involved in FIR No. 53 dated 10.05.2013 for offences under Sections 419, 420, 467, 468, 471, 474 and 120-B IPC, registered at Police Station Phase-8, SAS Nagar, Mohali and as per contents of that FIR, the petitioner impersonated himself as Harmeet Singh and filed an affidavit with GMADA for issuing of conveyance deed of the house of Harmeet Singh.

Learned State counsel on instructions from ASI Gurmeet Singh submits that Baldev Singh aforesaid who impersonated himself as Shishan Singh had also obtained mobile number 8729081771 in the name of Shishan Singh by attaching his own photograph over the application form.

-3In the aforesaid circumstances, I am of the view that this big fraud has to be seriously cracked for which custodial interrogation of the petitioner is definitely required. No merit. Dismissed.

May 01, 2015 ( R.P. NAGRATH ) jk JUDGE