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PTC Web Desk: In a significant development, a Mohali district court has put a stay on the two-year jail sentence awarded to Shahbaz Singh Sohi, husband of AAP MLA Anmol Gagan Maan, in a cheque bounce case. The order was issued late Thursday evening, granting relief to Sohi and his co-accused.

Earlier, on March 16, a court in Dera Bassi had sentenced Sohi and two others to two years of imprisonment after holding them guilty under provisions related to cheque dishonour.

Advocate Vikramjit Passi, representing Sohi, confirmed that the sessions court has not only stayed the lower court’s verdict but also admitted their appeal. A detailed order from the court is still awaited, which will clarify the grounds for the relief granted. Sohi is a practising lawyer by profession.

Background of the case

The case stems from a complaint filed in November 2018 by Kamaljit Singh, brother of a former Zirakpur sarpanch and councillor. According to the complaint, Sohi and his associates—Jatinder Singh and Nashtar Singh—were partners in a real estate firm named Platinum Smart Builders. The firm had proposed a residential project called Silver City in Rajpura.

iThe complainant alleged that he was persuaded to invest in the project with the promise of being allotted several residential and commercial plots. As part of the deal, he reportedly made a payment of ₹7 crore via cheque in December 2017.

However, the agreement was later cancelled, and the accused allegedly issued a cheque of Rs 3 crore in January 2018. The complainant further claimed that additional amounts, including R 25 lakh and Rs 1.5 crore, were collected from him under the pretext of developing the project.

After prolonged hearings, the trial court found the evidence presented by the complainant credible and convicted all three accused under Section 138 of the Negotiable Instruments Act, 1881, which deals with cheque bounce offences. Each was awarded a two-year sentence, with provisions for sentence reduction if any prior imprisonment was established.

Anmol Gagan Maan, a prominent AAP leader, joined the party in 2020 and won the Kharar Assembly seat in the 2022 Punjab elections by a margin of over 37,000 votes. She was later inducted into the state Cabinet but was removed during a reshuffle in September 2024. She briefly distanced herself from the party before rejoining.