Pune: The Bombay High Court has set aside an order of the Pune Sessions Court and directed Pune Police to continue the criminal investigation into an alleged land fraud involving a 78-year-old woman in Wadgaon Sheri.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Justice Shivkumar Dige observed that forcing an elderly woman to repeatedly approach courts in search of justice was inappropriate. The court noted that the case prima facie disclosed elements of cheating and criminal breach of trust and ordered the investigation against two accused persons to proceed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The ruling has provided significant relief to complainant Sumandevi Talera, aged 78.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Dispute Over Three Plots<\/p>\n\n\n\n
According to the complaint, Sumandevi Talera and her sister-in-law, Sushiladevi Talera, had jointly purchased immovable property in Wadgaon Sheri. Following a family partition in 1992, plots numbered 55, 56 and 69 were reportedly allotted to Sumandevi.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She claimed that she paid \u20b975,000 to Sushiladevi through a bank transaction and remained in possession of the plots.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
However, in January 2024, Sushiladevi Talera and her daughter-in-law, Sona Talera, allegedly sold the plots to developer Avani Realtors through a registered sale deed without informing Sumandevi.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
After learning about the transaction, Sumandevi lodged a complaint at Chandan Nagar Police Station. The matter was later transferred to the Economic Offences Wing. Police, however, treated it as a civil dispute and did not initiate criminal proceedings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Magistrate Ordered Registration of Case<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Sumandevi subsequently filed a private complaint before a judicial magistrate. After examining the available documents and evidence, the magistrate directed Chandan Nagar Police to register a case and submit an investigation report within 60 days.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The accused challenged this order before the Sessions Court. The Additional Sessions Court held that the matter was purely civil in nature and set aside the magistrate\u2019s direction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Sumandevi then approached the Bombay High Court through a revision petition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Bank Records and Tax Returns Submitted<\/p>\n\n\n\n
During the High Court hearing, the complainant relied on bank transactions, income-tax returns and other documents to establish her alleged rights over the plots.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Her lawyers argued that the matter was not merely a civil ownership dispute but involved fraudulent conduct and criminal breach of trust. The respondents maintained that the dispute was civil in nature.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
After hearing both sides, the High Court held that a police investigation was necessary.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The court also found that the magistrate\u2019s order under the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita was legally sustainable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Investigation Against Two Accused to Continue<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The High Court quashed the Sessions Court order and directed the continuation of the investigation against Sushiladevi Talera and Sona Talera.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The case against a third accused was quashed. At the respondents\u2019 request, the High Court stayed its order for two weeks to allow them to approach the Supreme Court.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The complainant has demanded that Pune Police conduct a fair and thorough investigation, alleging that authorities at multiple levels had earlier closed the matter by treating it solely as a civil dispute.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Pune: The Bombay High Court has set aside an order of the Pune Sessions Court…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":12,"featured_media":90346,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[5769,5774,5784,1481,5775,3178,5778,5782,5771,5781,5779,5780,5773,631,5772,3943,5768,5770,5766,5767,5783,5776,5777,5765],"class_list":["post-96604","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-78-year-old-woman-justice","tag-avani-realtors","tag-bharatiya-nagarik-suraksha-sanhita","tag-bombay-high-court","tag-bombay-high-court-judgment","tag-chandan-nagar-police-station","tag-criminal-breach-of-trust","tag-economic-offences-wing-pune","tag-justice-shivkumar-dige","tag-land-cheating-case","tag-maharashtra-legal-news","tag-property-fraud-investigation","tag-property-ownership-dispute","tag-pune-crime-news","tag-pune-land-fraud-case","tag-pune-police-investigation","tag-pune-property-dispute","tag-pune-sessions-court-order","tag-registered-sale-deed-fraud","tag-senior-citizen-justice","tag-sona-talera","tag-sumandevi-talera","tag-sushiladevi-talera","tag-wadgaon-sheri-land-dispute"],"yoast_head":"\n