IN THE HIGH COURT OF PUNJAB & HARYANA AT CHANDIGARH ****

102 CRM-M-59269-2024 (O&M)

Date of Decision : 09.02.2026 (I) SAFDARPAL SINGH @ SAFDERPAL SINGH (SINCE DECEASED)

THROUGH HIS LR – NAVJINDER SINGH (II) NAVJINDER SINGH SANDHU ...Petitioners VERSUS STATE OF PUNJAB ...Respondent CORAM: HON’BLE MS. JUSTICE AARADHNA SAWHNEY Present: Mr. P.S. Ahluwalia, Senior Advocate with Mr. Deepinder Virk, Advocate for the petitioners.

Mr. Kamalpreet Bawa, DAG, Punjab.

Mr. H.S. Deol, Advocate for the complainant.

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AARADHNA SAWHNEY, J. (ORAL)

1. This petition for grant of anticipatory bail under Section 438 Cr.P.C, had initially been filed by Safdarpal Singh @ Safderpal Singh and his son Navjinder Singh Sandhu, both of whom are accused in case bearing FIR No.36 dated 24.10.2024 registered against them and others at Police Station Punjab State Crime, SAS Nagar, Mohali, for commission of offences punishable u/s 419, 420, 465, 467, 468, 471 and 120-B IPC. At the outset, it needs to be pointed out that petitioner No.1, Safdarpal Singh, expired on 15.12.2024. Vide order dated 06.05.2025, passed by a co-ordinate Bench of this Court, son of late Safdarpal Singh, namely, Navjinder Singh, who is himself also an accused was allowed to continue on behalf of his father.

2. Relevant facts as can be inferred from the documents on record are noticed hereinbelow:-

Smt. Hardial Kaur, 80 years old woman, whose husband – Sh.

Rajinder Singh, son – Jaspal Singh and both the brothers have passed away, set the criminal law in motion by filing a complaint pointing therein that after the death of her son Jaspal Singh on 18.02.2017, the land owned by him in Village Gujjar was transferred in her name. During his lifetime, her husband Rajinder Singh had executed a registered Will dated 01.10.2019 in her favour. She alleged that Rinku, d/o Balbir Singh, Parampal Singh s/o Balbir Singh, Balveer Singh s/o Darshan Singh, Safdarpal Singh (petitioner No.1) s/o Ranbir Singh, Navjinder Singh (petitioner No.2) s/o Safdarpal Singh, Ranjit Singh, Tehsildar (Jaitu) and Gurdeep Singh, Reader to Tehsildar, in connivance with each other fabricated a General Power of Attorney dated 20.05.2024 said to have been executed by her, in favour of Parampal Singh, who on the strength of the said fake GPA executed the sale deeds of the land in question in favour of Balveer Singh, Safdarpal Singh (since deceased) and Navjinder Singh (petitioners). Revenue Officials were also hand in gloves with alleged vendor and vendees as they deliberately did not verify the documents. She further deliberately did not verify the documents. She further pointed out that co-accused, namely, Vijay Kumar, Nambardar of Village Sadwan and Davinder Singh s/o Pritpal Singh, who do not hail from Village Gujjar, appended their signatures on fabricated Power of Attorney and verified some other woman as Hardial Kaur, despite knowing that the said woman is not real Hardial Kaur w/o Rajinder Singh. She also came to know that the said woman does not own any land in Village Gujjar. Complainant next alleged that in lieu of sale deeds, no amount was transferred in the account of either imposter Hardial Kaur (co-accused Rinku) and co-accused - Parampal Singh.

She alleged that all the above mentioned persons are the members of organized gang, who prepare fake documents of lands of helpless people and grab their property. The vendees Safdarpal Singh (since deceased) and Navjinder Singh, further as per complainant, are very well known to her. A Civil Suit titled “Rajinder Singh Vs. Harpal Singh” in which Safdarpal Singh (since deceased) is one of the parties, is pending adjudication before the Civil Courts. Further, both Safdarpal Singh and Navjinder Singh (petitioners) are already facing trial in another case bearing FIR No. 56 dated 08.08.2019, u/s 406, 420-B IPC registered against them by one Simranjeet Singh s/o Gurmukh Singh levelling similar allegations.

While mentioning the questionable past antecedents of the accused persons, complai