Lawyer denied bail in property grab case

NEW DELHI - The Delhi High Court has dismissed the bail plea of an advocate who allegedly forged documents and indulged in impersonation to grab properties.

Justice S.N. Dhingra Jan 24 rejected the bail application of Mahip Singh Saini, a practising lawyer, saying that the accused misused his position in committing a crime and hence was not entitled for bail.

Saini was arrested in a case of grabbing properties by indulging in forgery and cheating.

The lawyer allegedly used a neighbour, Ved Prakash Saini, under different names to appear in courts as the owner of properties that he targetted to grab.

According to the court, the lawyer presented Ved Parakash Saini as Charanjit Singh and Rajinder - non-existing persons - in different courts in Delhi and Uttar Pradesh to obtain ex-parte decrees on properties.

Through forged documents, the accused transferred properties first in Ved Prakash Saini’s name and later transferred to his wife’s name.

“The secret was revealed after Ved Prakash Saini was arrested and he disclosed the entire conspiracy,” said the court.

“Saini had been principal beneficiary of these forgeries as the property was finally transferred in the name of his wife, who is also an accused,” the court added.

The court noted that “from the entire charge sheet and testimony of witnesses recorded so far, it seems that Saini was running a network for grabbing properties.”