By IANS,
New Delhi : Romesh Sharma, a suspected aide of underworld don Dawood Ibrahim, was Monday awarded 10 years’ imprisonment by a Delhi court in a cheating and extortion case in which he grabbed a complainant’s helicopter in 1996.
Additional Sessions Judge Sanjeev Jain also slapped a fine of over Rs.17 lakh on him for the offences of cheating, extortion, dishonestly receiving stolen property, kidnapping, criminal intimidation and conspiracy.
Since he had already undergone imprisonment for 10 years during the trial, he would not go to jail, Sharma’s lawyer said.
The court was hearing a case against Sharma lodged by H. Suresh Rao in 1998. He alleged that Sharma cheated him and grabbed his Bell-47 helicopter.
In its chargesheet, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) said that Sharma came in contact with Rao in 1996 and expressed his desire to hire his chopper for campaigning in an election. After using the chopper Sharma refused to return it.
The chopper was later seized by the Delhi Police from the city. The case was later transferred to the CBI.
Co-accused Harish Mishra was convicted for cheating and criminal conspiracy and awarded seven years jail term.
The court also awarded three and half years jail term to Sharma’s accomplices Avtar Singh Ahluwalia, M.D. Bhojwani, Naveen Buddhiraja, Manoj, Avdesh and Indermani for the offence of dacoity and hatching a criminal conspiracy.
Another accused Laxman Singh was awarded three years’ jail term.