Surat: A local court has allowed diamond baron and real estate developer, Vasant Gajera, accused in a case of forging land documents, to fly abroad for business, albeit with certain conditions.
Police had Gajera on March 21, 2018 following a complaint lodged by a Puna area resident Vraj Malani who alleged that the diamantaire and others had forged land documents to claim ownership of 18,500 sq m land worth Rs 100 crore in Vesu area. Malani had claimed that the land was owned by him since 1990.
Gajera was released on bail in May 2018 by the Gujarat high court which asked him to surrender his passport. The district and sessions court in Surat permitted businessman Vasant Gajera to get back his passport and to go abroad on a business tour with certain conditions.
Vasant Gajera was booked under various sections of IPC including 193 (false evidence), 196 (Using evidence known to be false), 200 ( Using as true such declaration knowing it to be false), 465 (forgery) and 120 (b) (criminal conspiracy) among others in 2018.
Gajera’s lawyer submitted that he had to visit Dubai, Bangkok, America, Antwerp and Hong Kong for business purposes from December 15, 2020 to June 30, 2021.
Additional public prosecutor SS Patil opposed this plea and submitted that cancellation of bail plea is already pending before the court and there are all chances that the accused would flee abroad and not to return. Gajera has been directed to immediately present himself before the court on the date of trial commencement.