Consumer commission directs CBI to arrest Sunny Enclave promoter

Several house buyers have filed complaints against Bajwa, who faces around 45 cheque bounce cases amounting to ₹20 crore

The District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission, Mohali, on Tuesday issued directions to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to arrest Jarnail Singh Bajwa, managing director of the Sunny Enclave housing project in Mohali.

According to the order, the senior superintendent of police of the CBI, Sector 30,Chandigarh, or the officer who is heading the office has been directed to arrest Bajwa and ensure his presence before the commission on or before the next date of hearing on March 3, 2021.

Several house buyers have filed complaints against Bajwa, who faces around 45 cheque bounce cases amounting to ₹20 crore. He was declared a proclaimed offender in August last year and February this year.

Raises concern over police working

While issuing the directions to the CBI, commission president Sanjiv Dutt Sharma also raised concern over the police working, adding that in “such peculiar circumstances, where the accused has parted with huge amount of poor litigants and is roaming freely despite issuance of notice of various non-bailable warrants against him, this commission is left with no alternative except to seek the help of some other agencies to maintain the rule of law in the State of Punjab”.

“It is important to mention here that the accused is wilfully and intentionally not appearing before the commission. It is also mentioned that as per our record, he is facing a number of execution proceedings that are pending before this commission... We have also noticed that a number of non-bailable warrants are issued through SSP, Mohali, but every time some report comes with the remark that he is not found. We feel that even with the connivance of police, this man is trying to defeat the very purpose of the Consumer Protection Act, 2019,” noted the commission.

Bajwa’s advocate Dinesh Kumar Sharma said: “We have not got the copy of the order yet, but we are refunding the money to the parties. Due to the lockdown, we could not sell our properties, and thus, were faced with financial issues. We will be sorting all the issues.”