NAVENDU BABBAR Vs. STATE OF NCT OF DELHI

JUDGEMENT

(1.) The applicant is an accused in case FIR No. 88/2015 dated 30.06.2015 registered under sections 420/467/468/471/120-B of the Indian Penal Code, 1860 (IPC) at PS : Economic Offences Wing (EOW), Crime & Railways, Delhi and has been in judicial custody since 22.02.2020. By way of the present application, the applicant seeks regular bail during pendency of the trial.

(2.) To give a brief overview of the matter, the subject FIR came to be registered at the instance of complainant Arjun Singh who complained that in May, 2014 that one Kailash Bhatt approached the complainant and represented that his employer Navendu Babbar (the applicant) wishes to purchase an apartment, which however he cannot purchase in his own name. According to the complainant, Kailash Bhatt persuaded the complainant to purchase the apartment in the complainant's name and thereafter transfer it to the applicant within 6 months. The complainant alleges that on this pretext Kailash Bhatt took certain identity documents from the complainant; and on 09.05.2014, Kailash Bhatt and the complainant approached Punjab National Bank, Mayur Vihar Branch, Delhi for a loan along with the applicant and one Ravi Kumar. At the bank, on the directions of Kailash Bhatt and the applicant, the bank officials got the complainant to put his signatures on several documents, which documents the complainant did not understand.

(3.) Other details apart, the complainant alleges that later he received a letter dated 09.01.2015 from the bank to the effect that he owed Rs.49,04,960/- to the bank against an equitable loan facility availed by him against property bearing No. L-2/19 Mohan Garden, Uttam Nagar, Delhi; and if the complainant did not repay the loan amount, the bank would take possession of the property. According to the complainant, he had never taken any loan from the bank and had nothing to do with the property. The complainant accordingly filed a complaint with PS : Economic Offences Wing, New Delhi, on the basis of which the subject FIR has come to be registered.