New Delhi
The Delhi High Court on Monday provided relief to former cricketer and India head coach Gautam Gambhir by staying a trial court order that had set aside his discharge in a cheating case related to home buyers. The High Court, led by Justice Manoj Kumar Ohri, stayed the order, stating that a detailed decision would be passed later.
Gambhir had previously been discharged by a magistrate court, but the sessions court overturned this discharge. This led Gambhir to challenge the sessions court’s ruling in the High Court. His legal team, including senior advocates Mukul Rohtagi and Sandeep Sethi, argued that Gambhir has an unblemished record, and his role as a brand ambassador for the project was normal for celebrities.
The case stems from allegations that Gambhir, as a brand ambassador for a real estate project, was involved in luring buyers to invest in flats. The project, located in Ghaziabad, faced legal issues, with the Allahabad High Court imposing a stay on the land’s possession in 2003. The alleged cheating involved buyers paying between Rs 6 lakh to 16 lakh for flats, only to later discover the land was embroiled in litigation.
The sessions court’s order noted that the cheating amount of Rs 3.5 crore may be linked to criminal activity, possibly qualifying as “proceeds of crime,” which could lead to further investigation into money laundering under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). The matter has been remanded for further investigation.
