The Delhi High Court has denied anticipatory bail to one Ram Singh accused of selling a non-existent DLF Camellias flat to a woman and cheating her of over ₹12 crores.
In an order passed on March 24, Justice Anup Jairam Bhambhani said that Singh may have played a central role in the fraud.
The Court said that Singh appears to be the key conspirator and principal facilitator who knowingly enabled the routing, rotation, laundering and concealment of the money through multiple-layered bank accounts, shell entities, and trusted associates with the intention of disguising the proceeds of crime.
“This court is tempted to observe that – after all, the maestro leads from a distance, commanding the orchestra, with no instrument in his own hand,” the Court observed.
The case stemmed from a complaint alleging cheating and forgery amounting to approximately ₹12.04 crore. According to the prosecution, the fraud was orchestrated by multiple accused, including Mohit Gogia and others linked to a firm named M/s MG Leasing & Finance.
The complainant alleged that she was induced to invest in a luxury flat in DLF Camellias, claimed to have been acquired through a bank auction, based on forged documents and false assurances.
It was stated that while Singh was not initially named in the FIR, his involvement surfaced through multiple sources, including co-accused statements, financial records, and income tax proceedings.
Delhi Police alleged that Singh operated as a financial intermediary, facilitating the routing of funds through layered bank accounts to obscure the money trail. The police argued that over ₹7 crore was transferred into Singh’s accounts from other accused, forming part of a broader network of transactions allegedly used to circulate illicit funds.
After considering the case, the High Court expressed concern over Singh’s conduct during the investigation, noting that he failed to respond to multiple notices, leading to the issuance of non-bailable warrants and initiation of proclamation proceedings.
“Considering the nature of the offence, the petitioner is eminently in a position to conceal, manipulate, or destroy crucial evidence unless he is taken into custody,” the Court added.
Therefore, it rejected his interim bail plea.
Senior Advocate Mukul Rohatgi with advocates Abhinav Sharma, Avtar Singh and Ayushi Agarwal appeared for Ram Singh.
Advocates Tanmay Mehta, Rajeev Aggarwal, Ankit Gupta, Mayank Kamra, Sanya Kashyap and Manbhar Mittal appeared for the complainant.
Delhi Police was represented by Standing Counsel Sanjay Lao, Additional Standing Counsel Sanjeev Bhandari as well as advocates Abhinav Kr Arya and Aryan Sachdeva.
[Read Order]