Absconding couple booked for fraud on HC's order

Punjab and Haryana High court has ordered filing of an FIR against an absconding couple for failing to appear before the court in a case of cheating and forgery.
After remaining on the run for almost two years, the couple has been booked for non-appearance in response to a proclamation on the order of Punjab and Haryana High Court, police said today.
Iqbal Singh Sabharwal and his wife Harpreet Walia Sabharwal, residents of Kharar area, have been booked under Section 174-A (non-appearance in response to proclamation) of IPC at Balongi police station in Mohali, they said.
The couple, booked in a case of cheating, forgery, criminal breach of trust and criminal conspiracy involving Rs 24 crore worth land fraud has been on the run since 2007, police said.

They were declared proclaimed offenders on July 3, 2014 by a local court in Kharar, they said.
The accused's plea to quash the Kharar court's order declaring them as proclaimed offenders was dismissed by the Supreme Court. Their anticipatory bail plea had also been rejected by the apex court and the High Court.

The couple had again petitioned the High Court, seeking quashing of the Kharar court's order. But their plea was disposed of by Justice Kuldip Singh on April 29 without grant of any relief, police said.
Justice Singh directed the couple to surrender before the lower court or police authorities within 24 hours.

"It is apparent that though the present applicants- petitioners are absconding from justice, but technically under Section 82(4) CrPC, they could not be declared as proclaimed offenders. However, notwithstanding the technicality of law, they can be treated as proclaimed persons under the provisions of Section 82 CrPC," observed the judge, while ordering that in place of proclaimed offenders, the couple shall be treated as proclaimed persons under the provisions of Section 82 (proclamation for person absconding) of CrPC.
The accused couple is also under the scanner of Enforcement Directorate in an alleged money laundering case, police said.