Chandigarh: HC grants grain market parking contractor interim relief from arrest

Petitioner Mohammad Idrish moved to HC, seeking anticipatory bail in an FIR registered on March 17, 2022, under sections 384 (Punishment for extortion), 420 (Cheating and dishonestly inducing delivery of property), 341 (Punishment for wrongful restraint), 120-B (Punishment of criminal conspiracy) of the IPC.

As per the police, Idrish was allotted a one-year contract to manage parking in Sector-26, Grain Market last year.

During this period, he was found fleecing people. It was alleged that although he was supposed to collect a parking fee, he was charging an entry fee from anyone entering the market area. It was further alleged that he had been illegally permitting ‘rehri walas’ (vegetable carts) to place their carts in the parking lot and charging a sizeable amount from them.

Idrish’s counsel, Krishan Singh Dadwal, contended that he has been falsely implicated in the case by competitors, who were nursing a grudge against him. It was
also submitted that although the allegations were levelled regarding the entry fee, which is a standard practice in the other parking areas in UT, such as Sectors 17 and 22. Furthermore, any violation of the condition of the contract in charging the fee would at best attract some kind of civil liability and that lodging of the FIR was an abuse of the process of law.

Justice Gurvinder Singh Gill hearing the matter said, “In the event of arrest, the petitioner be released on interim bail subject to his furnishing personal bonds and surety bonds to the satisfaction of arresting/investigating officer. However, the petitioner shall join the investigation as and when called upon to do so and cooperate with the arresting/investigating Officer”.