Land grabbing case: Delhi Court dismisses AAP MLA Manoj Kumar's bail plea

NEW DELHI: A city court today dismissed the bail plea of Delhi AAP MLA Manoj Kumar in a case of alleged cheating and land-grabbing.

Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Saurabh Pratap Singh Laler rejected the bail applications of Kumar and his alleged accomplice Lakhpat, who had claimed that the case against them was politically motivated.

"The case has been given a political colour as he is the MLA of AAP," Kumar's counsel submitted adding that Kumar deserves bail as "he is an MLA and not a terrorist".

Countering the claim, Delhi Police claimed that Kumar was allegedly involved in a serious case of forgery of valuable security, for which the maximum punishment was life sentence.

Advocates Mahesh Sharma and C L Gupta, appearing for the Kondli legislator, said there was no apprehension that he would flee from justice and it was wrong to suggest that he was involved in cheating, as during interrogation it came out that the owner of the plot was a lady named Chandrakala, who had sought his help to sell the land.

The bail pleas were vehemently opposed by special public prosecutor (SPP) Anupam Sharma on the ground that the offences invoked against Kumar include those under sections 467(forgery of valuable security) and 475 (counterfeiting device or mark used for authenticating documents) of the IPC which entail a maximum punishment of life term, and his bail application was misplaced.

The SPP said the CFSL report was "very clear" and stamps and notary's signature were "fabricated".

Kumar's counsel contended there was no forgery and the MLA should be granted bail since all the documents were in the possession of the prosecution and Kumar has been in custody since July 9.