Mahima
The CBI booked taxation lawyer Kapil Khanna and Sector 11 resident Amardeep Singh Brar regarding filing of a forged writ petition before the Punjab and Haryana High Court. The forged writ petition was filed in an alleged attempt to grab Rs. 30-crore plot in city’s upscale Sector 5.
The forged petition was drafted by advocate Anandeshwar Gautam who was approached by Brar and Khanna as the preliminary CBI inquiry suggests. CBI probe addresses, “During a discussion, they (Brar and Khanna) 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 and title in the suit property, for which he is supposed to have executed some GPA or SPA, though documents were not
produced before him (Gautam).”
Brarhad paid Rs. 50,000 to Gautam as his legal fees. CBI registered the FIR under Sections 120-B (criminal conspiracy), 166 (abuse of official position as public servant), 204 (destruction of document to prevent its production as evidence), 205 (false personation for purpose of act or proceedings in suit or prosecution), 420 (cheating), 466 (forgery of record of Court or of public register), 467 (forgery of valuable security or will), 468 (forgery for purpose of cheating) and 471 (using as genuine a forged
document or electronic record).
The FIR was registered by senior IPS and head of Chandigarh CBI branch, Ashwin Shenvi, in compliance with the directions issued by the High Court. The CBI inquiry states that the vakalatnama and accompanying affidavit filed with the petition did not bear the original signature of Padamjit Singh.
It also revealed that false email was purported as that of Padamjit Singh and used to send email to the estate office of Chandigarh. Padamjit Singh is an 84-year-old NRI residing in USA who when discovered that a forged petition was filed before the High Court concerning his controversial property, he filed an application before the High Court to reveal the fraud and forgery in his name, in response to which High Court ordered CBI probe in the matter.