Cheating case drags on for 28 yrs

NEW DELHI: A 14-year long trial in a city court and then another 14 years in a sessions court, against an order of the lower court. Sometimes, a legal matter can literally become a life partner. In this case, it did and even completed a silver jubilee.
A cheating case, first registered in 1976, finally came to an end after 28 years with the two accused, now in the sixties, getting two years'' probation.They were also asked to pay a fine of Rs 10,000 each and sureties of the same amount.
The court of additional sessions judge D S Punia, on Monday, ordered that the two accused "Be released on probation, subject to the furnishing bonds of the sum of Rs 10,000 and surety of the like amount." The order was passed by the court based on a criminal appeal filed by the two accused in April 1990, against the order of a lower court.
Interestingly, one of the two accused in this case is a lawyer and the other a government servant, who was working for the directorate of family planning at the time of the incident. The complainant in the case, Jai Bhagwan, used to run a motorcycle repair shop in Karol Bagh and the two accused used to visit the shop for routine service.
The two accused, Inder Nath and Amar Nath, told the complainant that they could get him a flat or shop allotted. Bhagwan had discussions with his colleagues and their families and they decided to get seven shops and seven flats allotted through the two accused.
A total amount of Rs 52,500 was paid to the two accused for the flats and shops. They were even given sanction letters for shops on Panchkuian Road. However, when Bhagwan and his colleagues went to take possession they realised the forgery and finally registered a case in August 1976.
The lower court had convicted the two accused in March 1990 to two years rigorous imprisonment. While a cumulative fine of Rs 3,000 was imposed on Inder Nath, Amar Nath was to pay a fine of Rs 2,000.
An appeal was then filed in the sessions court. Fourteen years since, the case finally rests.