HC QUASHES FIR ALLEGING CHEATING

HC QUASHES FIR ALLEGING CHEATING

◼️By: Zafar Khan
Nagpur, 17-Jan-2020
Division bench presided over by ZA Haq and MG Giratkar JJ have quashed FIR registered against Umadevi Agrawal and Abhinav Agrawal.

FIR was registered against Umadevi and Abhinav on the complaint of Suraj Omprakash Agrawal R/o Hiwri Nagar Nagpur. The FIR was registered for offences under sec 420, 418, 468 and 471 of IPC.

The case of the prosecution was that, Smt.  Umadevi executed two sale-deeds in favor of the complainant on  20/12/1995  which  was  registered before  the  Joint  Sub-Registrar,  Nagpur  –  1.

At the time of execution of sale deed the land was a class 2 land. Therefore when  the  application  for  converting  the agricultural  lands  for  non-agricultural  purpose  was  filed  before  the  SubDivisional   Officer,   signature   of  the complainant  was  taken  on  that application.

Subsequently,  Smt.  Umadevi  executed  three  gift-deeds  in  favour  of  the Abhinav  (son  of  the  Umadevi)  on  20/11/2007,  29/03/2008  and 05/04/2008  in  respect  of  the  same  field  properties.  On  getting  knowledge  of the  execution  of  the  gift-deeds,  the complainant felt cheated and he lodged  a  report  with the  Hingana Police  Station  on  the  basis  of  which  first information   report   came   to   be   registered   against   the   applicants   on 03/01/2009  for  the  offences  punishable  under  Sections  420,  418,  468,  471 read   with  Section  34  of  the  Indian  Penal  Code.

It was argued that, execution of sale deed in favour of complainant was only as a security for loan taken from complainant. It was pointed out to the court that certificate  dated  29/11/2010  issued  by  the  Branch  Manager  of  Syndicate Bank,  Gondia  shows that entire loan amount was paid and as such sale deeds were  not genuine  and  the  sale-deeds  were  registered  as  security  for  the  amount  of loan  taken  by  the  Umadevi  and  the  amount  came  to  be  repaid  by cheque  as  is  evident  from  the  certificate  dated  29/11/2010.   

It was urged that it was a civil dispute which has been given criminal color by complainant.

Adv Mir Nagman Ali assisted by Adv Mayur Jain appeared for applicants.