By Arun Pratap Singh
Garhwal Post Bureau
Nainital, 23 Jun: Dehradun-based leading builder and industrialist Sudhir Kumar Windlass has once again been denied bail by the Uttarakhand High Court. A division bench led by Justice Pankaj Purohit rejected his third bail application, along with those of his two co-accused. The next hearing has been scheduled for the first week of July.
During the hearing, Windlass’s counsel argued that he is 72 years old and in poor health, currently undergoing treatment at Himalayan Hospital in Jolly Grant as per court orders. The plea sought an expedited hearing, citing his age and medical condition.
The defence lawyers further contended that the individuals who allegedly framed Windlass are already in jail and that forged documents were created to malign his reputation. Windlass maintained that he had no role in the fraudulent land transactions and that fake sale deeds were executed using his name without his knowledge.
It may be recalled that Windlass was arrested by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on 21 December 2023 following a complaint of land fraud. The state government had ordered a CBI probe, which confirmed the allegations. The CBI Special Court in Dehradun subsequently convicted Windlass and two others, prompting them to challenge the verdict in the High Court.
This is not the first time Windlass has sought bail. His earlier applications were also rejected by the CBI Court and the High Court. The case allegedly involves serious charges of forgery and impersonation, including allegations that his employees used fake identities to execute land sale deeds in Rajpur, Dehradun.
The High Court has directed the state government to submit a detailed report before the next hearing. The matter continues to draw attention due to the high-profile nature of the accused and the scale of the alleged fraud.
