Delhi Court Orders Fresh Investigation Overturned in Flat Fraud Case Involving Cricketer Gautam Gambhir
A Delhi court has issued a new directive, overturning the discharge of former cricketer and current Indian cricket team head coach, Gautam Gambhir, in a case involving allegations of fraud against flat buyers. Special Judge Vishal Gogne has set aside a previous order by a magisterial court, stating that the earlier judgment failed to sufficiently consider the allegations against Gambhir. The judge emphasized the need for further scrutiny of Gambhir’s involvement.
Gambhir Linked to Real Estate Firms and Flat Buyer Fraud Allegations
The case originally targeted real estate firms Rudra Buildwell Realty Pvt. Ltd, H R Infracity Pvt Ltd, U M Architectures and Contractors Ltd, along with Gambhir, who held positions as director and brand ambassador for the companies’ joint venture. Judge Gogne highlighted that Gambhir, due to his role as a brand ambassador, had direct interaction with the investors. However, the previous court order failed to address Gambhir’s financial transactions with Rudra Buildwell Realty Pvt. Ltd, particularly his payment of Rs 6 crore and receipt of Rs 48.5 million from the company.
Concerns Over Misappropriated Funds and Cheating Allegations
Judge Gogne observed that the chargesheet did not specify whether the payments received by Gambhir were linked to funds obtained from the investors. Considering that the charges primarily involved fraud, it was necessary for the chargesheet and the previous court order to investigate any potential misappropriation of funds directed towards Gambhir.
The court further noted Gambhir’s extensive financial dealings with the company as an additional director during the project’s promotion period, which spanned from 29 June 2011 to 1 October 2013. While most repayments were made after his resignation, the judge found that the magisterial court’s findings were too broad, intertwining statements about Gambhir with those relating to other unnamed accused individuals. As a result, the case has been remanded to the magisterial court with instructions to issue a thorough fresh order, specifying the allegations against each accused in relation to the offenses and chargesheet evidence.
Details of the Alleged Flat Buyer Fraud
According to reports, the accused individuals promoted a housing project initially named “Serra Bella” in Indirapuram, Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh, which was later rebranded as “Pavo Real” in 2013. The prosecution argues that the complainants booked flats and made payments ranging from Rs 6 lakh to Rs 16 lakh, driven by the persuasive promotional materials. However, there were no substantial developments on the land, which remained undeveloped until 2016. Later, the complainants discovered that the project was not constructed according to the advertised plans and lacked the necessary approvals from relevant state authorities. They also learned that the land was under litigation, with a stay order imposed by the Allahabad High Court since 2003.
