The Patiala House Court in Delhi has issued summons against Bollywood veteran Dharmendra and two others in connection with a cheating case related to the Garam Dharam Dhaba franchise. The summons, issued on December 5, 2024, follows a complaint filed by Delhi businessman Sushil Kumar, who claims to have been deceived into investing in the restaurant chain.
Dharmendra and two others summoned by Delhi Court in Garam Dharam Dhaba cheating case
Allegations and Summons Issued
The case revolves around allegations made by Sushil Kumar, who asserts that he was induced to invest in the Garam Dharam Dhaba franchise based on false promises. Judicial Magistrate Yashdeep Chahal issued the summons, noting that the evidence on record indicated that the accused had lured Kumar into the deal with the intention of defrauding him.
“The evidence on record prima facie indicates that the accused persons induced the complainant in furtherance of their common intent, and the ingredients of the offence of cheating are duly disclosed,” the judge observed in the summoning order.
As per the summons, Dharmendra (referred to as Dharam Singh Deol in legal documents) along with two co-accused individuals, has been asked to appear for the commission of offences under Section 420 (cheating), Section 120B (criminal conspiracy) read with Section 34 (common intention) of the IPC. Additionally, two of the accused have also been summoned for criminal intimidation under Section 506 of the IPC.
Details of the Alleged Fraud
The complaint was filed by Sushil Kumar, who claims that in April 2018, he was approached by one of the co-accused on behalf of Dharmendra, with an offer to open a Garam Dharam Dhaba franchise in Uttar Pradesh. Kumar was allegedly told that the existing branches in Delhi’s Connaught Place and Haryana’s Murthal were generating a monthly turnover of approximately Rs 70-80 lakh.
Lured by the lucrative promise, Kumar was assured a seven percent profit on his investment of Rs 41 lakh. Further discussions led to the complainant being asked to invest a total of Rs 63 lakh plus tax to secure the franchise. A letter of intent was signed on September 22, 2018, confirming this agreement.
The complainant handed over a cheque of Rs 17.70 lakh, which was encashed by the accused. However, despite Kumar’s repeated attempts to get the business up and running, the respondents allegedly failed to honor their commitments. Kumar also alleges that after investing in land for the franchise, he was unable to contact the accused and was threatened with dire consequences if he persisted in reaching out.
Court’s Ruling and Future Proceedings
The court has scheduled the next hearing for February 20, 2025. During this stage, the court stated that the summoning process is based on the prima facie evidence, and a thorough examination of the merits and demerits of the case will be conducted at a later stage.
Previously, the complainant had approached the Connaught Place police station, where an inquiry was carried out. The police initially classified the matter as a breach of contract, stating that no cognizable offence had been committed. However, after reviewing the case, the court has decided to proceed with the summons.
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