Court Observes Important Facts Were Concealed While Lodging FIR in Property Dispute Case
Bilaspur : The Chhattisgarh High Court has granted anticipatory bail to businesswoman Sangeeta Ketan Shah, Managing Director of , and her husband Ketan M. Shah in connection with a property dispute case registered at Supela police station.
The High Court observed that significant facts were allegedly concealed by the complainant while filing the complaint before the police and the court. According to the case details, complainant Sunil Kumar Soman did not disclose that he had already received back the advance amount of Rs 10 lakh paid in the transaction. It was also allegedly concealed that a civil suit related to the same agreement was already pending before a court in Durg district.
Taking these aspects into consideration, the High Court allowed the anticipatory bail applications filed by the accused.
The matter pertains to a property deal dated March 13, 2023, involving a property located in Kohka area. According to the complaint, the property was proposed to be sold for Rs 50 lakh, for which an advance payment of Rs 10 lakh was allegedly made. Later, the complainant approached the court alleging cheating and fraud, following which an FIR was registered at Supela police station under Sections 406, 420, 468 and 471 of the Indian Penal Code.
During the hearing, the defence counsel argued that the agreement in question was merely a symbolic arrangement intended to facilitate the removal of illegal occupation from the property. The defence further pointed out that the agreement neither carried signatures of any witnesses nor was it notarised, raising questions over its legal authenticity.
The defence also questioned the valuation mentioned in the alleged transaction. It was argued before the court that the same property had reportedly been purchased in 2015 for approximately Rs 1.5 crore, and in 2024 a bank had assessed its value at nearly Rs 12 crore while sanctioning a loan of Rs 4.5 crore. In such circumstances, the defence contended that it was unreasonable to believe that the property would be sold for only Rs 50 lakh.
After considering the submissions and circumstances presented before it, the High Court granted anticipatory bail to both applicants, providing major relief to the accused in the ongoing legal dispute.
