CHANDIGARH: The Punjab and Haryana high court on Wednesday stayed the arrest of former Union minister Arun Nehru’s daughter Avantika Nehru Madan and her husband Gulbir Singh Madan in a case of allegedly grabbing 151 acres of land from farmers in Gurgaon district and selling it to investors.

The court passed these orders while taking up a petition filed by Avantika and her husband, both former directors of real estate company Brahma City Private Ltd.

During the hearing, Avantika’s counsel argued Brahma City Private Ltd had a licence to develop a colony and was selling the plots after obtaining the licence from the concerned departments. He also informed the court two plots were sold to the complainant, who paid 10% of the total amount.

The counsel also said Avantika had resigned as a director of the company in February 2010. “Since the petitioner company has a licence, and the complainant is aggrieved that his 10% amount has not been given back, initiation of criminal proceedings for recovery of the amount against the petitioners, who are not even directors now, is an abuse of process of law,” the counsel argued.

The court asked the Haryana government to file their reply to the petitioners’ contentions within 15 days.

Two FIRs are registered with Gurgaon police against Avantika and Gulbir. The first FIR (No. 674) was lodged on October 3 at Sadar police station on the order of a local court after a complaint by Mewa Singh. The second FIR (No. 221) was registered against the duo on allegations of fraudulently grabbing 151 acres from farmers and later selling it to investors.

They were charged for cheating and criminal conspiracy under sections 420 and 120-B of the IPC.

They have been accused of fraudulently taking 151 acres of land in 2010 from farmers of Ulhawas and nearby villages and taking residential licence from the department of town & country planning, Haryana, in the name of their company, then known as Krrish Buildtech Pvt Ltd.

Both FIRs mentioned that Brahma City Pvt Ltd had sold the land to more than 1,000 buyers at retail price. It mentions several violations of the Companies Act, 1956 and FEMA Regulations, 1999.

According to the complainant Mewa, Avantika and her husband had floated companies under different names. “It is prima facie clear that they had conspired by giving false assurance for allotment of plots and shops without adequate arrangement for the same,” said the complainant.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/gurgaon/HC-stays-arrest-of-Arun-Nehrus-kin-in-land-case/articleshow/25340018.cms