Court suspends 7 year sentence of Former MLA, his wife in cheating case

New Delhi [India], February 29 : The Rouse Avenue Court on Thursday suspended the seven years sentence awarded to former MLA Ranbir Singh Kharb and his wife Anita Kharb in a charting case.
They have challenged their conviction and sentence awarded.
Special Judge M K Nagpal suspended the sentence of Ranbir Singh Kharb and Anita Kharb till the disposal of their appeals.
The court has granted the relief to the couple on furnishing a bail bond of Rs. 25000 and a surety bond in the like amount by each convict.
The court has also asked the convicts to deposite FDR of Rs. Five lakh each towards the amount of fine/compensation awarded by the trial court.
The Court also granted time to prosecution to file reply and for arguements on the appeals.
The matter has been listed on March 21, 2024 for hearing.
The Court on February 24, sentenced the couple to seven years jail punishment in a cheating and criminal conspiracy case.
The court has also imposed a fine Rs. 44.5 lakh.
This case pertains to cheating with investors during 1998 to 2004. During this period Kharb was sitting MLA.
A case was registered by Economic Offence Wing of Delhi Police in 2006.
As per the prosecution, the convicts, fraudulently and dishonestly induced the complainant Pravin Kumar, to invest money in the company and in consequence thereof, he invested a sum of Rs.23 lakhs, without getting any return or refund. Ranbir Singh Dahiya was defrauded with Rs. 1.34 Crores.
Additional Chief Metropolitan (ACMM) Priyanka Rajpoot sentenced the convicts Ranbir Singh Kharb and Anita Kharb for a period of seven years imprisonment on February 24.
The court said that convict Ranbir Kharb is sentenced to rigorous imprisonment of seven years and fine of Rs. 22 Lakh for the offence punishable under section 420 of IPC read with section 120-B of IPC.
"Similarly, convict Anita Kharb is sentenced to rigorous imprisonment of seven years and fine of Rs. 22 Lakh for the offence punishable under section 420 of IPC read with section 120-B of
IPC.
Later on the fine amount was modified to the tune of Rs. 44.50 lakh on February 26, 2024.
The third convict Satprakash has been released on probation by the court. He paid a fine of Rs. 55000.
Ranbir and Anita Kharb were on bail. They are directed to surrender before the court today.
Counsel for convicts appearing for them requested the Court to suspend the sentence and
grant bail to them till the filing of appeal against the judgment as well as against order on sentence.
The Court noted that the provision of suspension of sentence under section 389(3) of Cr.P.C. will not apply as the Court has sentenced the convicts Ranbir Singh Kharb and Anita Kharb to
imprisonment for a term Seven (07) years.
Accordingly the convicts Ranbir Singh Kharb and Anita Kharb are directed to surrender
before the Court on the next date of hearing, the court directed on Saturday.
It was alleged that accused persons namely Ranbir Singh Kharb, Anita Kharb and
Satprakash had committed offences of cheating, criminal breach of trust, criminal conspiracy and have defrauded various innocent investors, who largely are their kith and kin of the accused persons, in the name of 'investments' in the company called M/s Jyoti Fair Finance Company.
It was alleged that the accused persons, during the period of 1998 to 2004, hatched a criminal conspiracy to cheat the general public, by way of a scheme floated through a finance company called M/s Jyoti Fair Finance Company.
As per the prosecution, the accused persons induced the general public to invest money in the company by alluring them with high interest rates and monetary gains, however, the accused persons never had the intention to return the money. Whatever payments, if at all made, were made to further lure/induce the innocent investors to make further investments.
The accused Anita Kharb was the Director of the of the company. She gave receipts in the name of company and often induced the general public and her acquaintances to invest money in the company.
As per Prosecution, Convict Satprakash too, like accused Anita Kharb, gave receipts in the name of company and often induced the general public and his acquaintances to invest money in the company.
Accused Ranbir Singh Kharb is an alleged king pin of the entire matter, even though he did not hold any position in the company however, as per the prosecution, he latently used to run the said company, without wearing any hat of Director/employee etc. Almost every victim has alleged inducement at the hands of Kharb, prosecution had alleged.