Delhi Court Questions Jalaj Batra’s Bail in DHFL Scam Case
A Delhi CBI court has issued a show cause notice to Jalaj Batra, one of the accused in the Rs 34,000 crore DHFL scam case, regarding the potential cancellation of his bail. This action follows allegations that Batra made false submissions and misled the court.
Judge’s Displeasure
On Wednesday, Special CBI Judge Ashwani Kumar Sarpal expressed displeasure towards Jalaj Batra for involving a third party and making incorrect submissions to secure bail and exemption from personal appearance in the CBI vs. Kapil Wadhawan DHFL scam case. The court noted that the accused, Jalaj Batra, was summoned by the court on May 16, 2024.
Allegations Against Batra
Allegations against Batra were that he indulged in share trading to raise multiple crores as equity for DHFL through various companies, which was in fact provided by DHFL. This increased the volume of DHFL shares in the stock market and raised the DHFL share price. However, he was granted bail by the Court on personal bond and surety, though he did not appear before the Court physically but through video conferencing.
Third Party Involvement
On August 28, 2024, an advocate, on instructions of a third party, made an application under SECTION 379 BNSS, bringing to light that the accused already had a Look Out Circular (LOC) issued against him for being named in different FIRs for cheating and forgery. It was stated that since he is wanted in other cases, he has run away from India and will not appear personally before the Court. The court was asked to cancel his bail for making false submissions.
Court’s Decision
Despite heavy opposition from Batra’s counsel, the court held that anyone can assist the court to reach the right conclusion. Batra’s counsel informed the court that he was in Dubai for the past 18 years, but the Investigation Officer’s report proved this claim incorrect. The report showed that Batra had left the country in 2022 and had not been in Dubai for the past 18 years.
Next Steps
Taking into consideration the submissions made by the third party and the report submitted by the Investigation Officer, the court issued a notice to Batra to show cause as to why his bail should not be cancelled. The court also issued a notice to the surety of the accused to produce him in court on the next date of hearing, failing which the surety bond shall be forfeited and the Fixed Deposit Receipt (FDR) deposited by him shall be encashed and deposited in a government account.
Doubts Revealed
Delhi Court -: A Delhi Court is a place in Delhi where judges work to make decisions about legal cases. It’s like a big room where people go to solve problems according to the law.
Jalaj Batra -: Jalaj Batra is a person who is accused of being involved in a big financial scam. A scam is when someone tries to cheat or trick others to get money.
Bail -: Bail is when someone who is in jail is allowed to go home while they wait for their trial. They usually have to promise to come back to court and sometimes pay money as a guarantee.
DHFL Scam -: DHFL Scam is a big cheating case involving a company called Dewan Housing Finance Corporation Limited (DHFL). They are accused of taking a lot of money from people and not using it properly.
CBI -: CBI stands for Central Bureau of Investigation. It is a special police force in India that investigates serious crimes like big scams and corruption.
Show Cause Notice -: A show cause notice is a letter from the court asking someone to explain why they did something wrong. If they can’t give a good reason, they might get into trouble.
Look Out Circular (LOC) -: A Look Out Circular (LOC) is a notice given to airports and border authorities to stop someone from leaving the country. It’s used when someone is suspected of a crime and might try to escape.
Surety -: A surety is a person who promises to make sure that someone who is out on bail will come back to court. If the person doesn’t come back, the surety might have to pay money.
