Authority: High Court of Punjab and Haryana at Chandigarh
Order Date: 16 July 2026
Case Overview
- Petitioners: Rajesh Kumar (son of Khazan Chand) and Dharambir Sharma (son of Jaikishan Sharma) filed petitions CRM‑M‑20704‑2026 and CRM‑M‑35147‑2026 arising from FIR No.31 dated 19‑12‑2023.
- FIR alleges offences under IPC sections 406, 409, 420, 467, 468, 471, 120‑B, 201 and Prevention of Corruption Act sections 13(1)(c), 13(1)(d), 13(2); the latter were deleted and Section 201 added.
- Alleged that the petitioners operated a consultancy named “Career Education Guide (CEG) Centre” in Kaithal, opened bank accounts in the names of certain SC/ST students, received government funds and siphoned a total amount of Rs.44,59,760.
- Petitioners have been in custody since 29‑12‑2025. To date, only 5 of the 97 prosecution witnesses have been examined; one prosecution witness has not supported the prosecution’s case.
- Counsel for the petitioners argued false implication and that the trial is unlikely to conclude soon, warranting bail. State counsel contended the seriousness of the allegations but acknowledged the limited witness examination.
- The Court referred to the precedent Maninder Sharma Vs. State Tax Officer (31‑08‑2022), which held that denial of bail in economic offences should be the exception and bail may be granted prior to completion of investigation if facts warrant.
Final Outcome
- The Court granted regular bail to both petitioners, ordering their release to the satisfaction of the concerned Trial Court/Duty Magistrate.
- All pending applications, if any, are disposed of accordingly.
- A photocopy of this order shall be placed on the file of the connected case.
Topics: Criminal Bail, Economic Offence, Consultancy Fraud