Navi Mumbai builder Sunil Lahoria murder case: Accused challenge court order

THANE: A fortnight after the Thane magistrate passed the order for attachment of properties worth more than Rs 100 crore of two absconding accused — architect Anuragh Garg and Mahesh Bijlani in connection with Navi Mumbai builder Sunil Lahoria murder case, the two accused have objected in the court.
Though Bijlani and Garg are absconding for past six months, they made a application early this week challenging chief judicial magistrate K N Gautam’s order of attachment."Respondents intend to prepare revision application, however the honorable court was pleased to reject it. Even more time to prepare was not granted under such circumstances the respondents are apprehending and believing that they would not get justice and hence honorable session court transfer the matter to another court in the interest of justice.’’ Their application stated. The matter is likely to come up on Monday.
City crime branch probing the case said the two are misleading court and delaying the attachment process. "We had moved the attachment of their properties case in August, we have followed the legal procedure to proclaim them absconder. After giving enough notices and advertisements in newspapers on November 26, the court was proclaimed them absconder and gave a month’s notice for attachment of their properties if they failed to turn up.’’ Said an officer. Finally on January 7 Magistrate Gautam passed an order for attachment of properties of both accused.
On February 16 last year, builder Lahoria was shot dead outside his office in Vashi by two shooters. The member of public caught one of the shooters identified as Venkat Shettiar. During interrogations Shettiar spill the beans on the entire conspiracy and Lahoria in the dying declaration named five persons including rival builders Garg and Suresh Bijlani. Mumbai crime branch have so far arrested 11 persons including Suresh Bijlani. Garg and Suresh Bijlani’s brother Mahesh are at large. When duo failed to turn up despite several notices, the court declared them absconder and police moved application for attachment of their properties so to built a pressure on them.
Attachment of properties means that the accused persons can use these properties but cannot sell or transfer the rights unless the court settles the case.