Quashing- Decision of High Court to quash the proceedings at preliminary stage, when the case is linked to a larger conspiracy involving government lands:
Held: The investigation into Respondent No. 1 (accused no. 7) and Respondent No. 2 (accused no. 10) reveals their critical roles in the misuse of GPA and subsequent property transactions, presenting a strong prima facie case for further examination – Lands in the heart of Bhubaneswar city were acquired for as little as Rs. 9,000/- per acre, whereas the prevailing market rates exceeded Rs. 50 lakhs per acre – Such drastic undervaluation raises substantial questions regarding the intent behind these transactions, indicative of a deliberate scheme to evade appropriate stamp duties and registration fees, causing considerable loss to the state – Respondent No. 1, who is the wife of Respondent No. 2, the Managing Director of M/s Z Engineer’s Construction Pvt. Ltd., was central to the planning and execution of these transactions – Both respondents, along with their connections in the Real Estates Developers Association and their familiarity with key figures in the real estate sector, played pivotal roles in this conspiracy – Dismissing the case at the preliminary stage, especially when linked to a broader pattern of similar frauds involving government lands as part of a larger conspiracy, risks undermining the integrity of multiple ongoing investigations and judicial processes – Such a decision would be detrimental to the investigation of similar fraudulent schemes against public assets – The High Court’s decision to quash the proceedings was based on an incomplete assessment of the facts, which could only be fully unraveled through a detailed trial process – The nature and extent of the alleged conspiracy, the involvement of the respondents, and the actual harm caused to the public exchequer need to be judiciously examined in a trial setting – The High Court has hastily concluded that there is no evidence to show meeting of minds between the other accused persons and the Respondents which in our considered opinion, can only be decided after a thorough examination of evidence and witnesses by the Trial Court. [Paras 5,6,7,8 and 9]
As published in the Supreme Court Reports, Supreme Court of India. Text from the Indian Supreme Court Judgments open data set (Dattam Labs), CC BY 4.0.
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