PARKASH GURBAXANI Vs. DIRECTORATE OF ENFORCEMENT

JUDGEMENT

(1.) This order shall dispose of two petitions being CRM-M-12901 of 2021 - Parkash Gurbaxani vs. The Directorate of Enforcement and CRM- M-12459-2021 - Ashok Solomon vs. Assistant Director, Directorate of Enforcement both of which have been filed for the grant of regular bail in case bearing No.ECIR/01/HIU/2019 dated 25.01.2019 registered under Sections 3 and 4 of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002 (for short - the PMLA), arising out of FIR No.291 dated 13.12.2018 registered under Section 10 of the Haryana Development and Regulation of Urban Areas Act, 1975 (for short - the 1975 Act) and Section 420 IPC at Police Station Bajghera, District Gurugram.

(2.) Briefly stated, the case of the prosecution is that on 31.03.2007, Chintels India Limited (for short - Chintels), which owned 149.093 acres of land in Gurugram, applied to the Director, Town and Country Planning, Haryana (for short - DTCP) for the grant of a licence under the 1975 Act for developing a residential colony. Thereafter, on 28.03.2008, Chintels and QVC Realty Company Limited (for short - QVC), the assignors of the aforesaid land, entered into an agreement with Sobha Limited (for short - Sobha) for developing the aforesaid land on a salable area sharing basis and in support of the aforesaid application for the grant of licence, filed such agreement before the DTCP. On favourable consideration of the application, on 22.11.2008, Chintels and DTCP entered into an agreement on the basis of which a licence bearing No.190/2008 dated 24.11.2008 was issued in favour of Chintels. As per the relevant term of the agreement, on which the licence was based, Chintels was required to reserve 25% of the developed residential plots on a 'No Profit No Loss' (for short - NPNL) basis. It was further agreed between the parties that 75% of the NPNL plots would be allotted to registered applicants through a draw of lots (if so required) and the remaining 25% would be allotted to Non Resident Indians against Foreign Exchange; land owners whose land had been purchased by Chintels for setting up the colony; plots falling in small pockets which subsequently are acquired by the colonizers as part of an area already developed as a colony by Chintels and to such persons whom Chintels may like at its discretion (provided that such allotment did not exceed 5% of the total number of NPNL plots).

(3.) Two other licences bearing Nos.58/2013 and 79/2014 for 3.947 acres and 13.375 acres respectively, which also contained similar terms with regard to reserving and allotting NPNL plots, were also obtained by Chintels.