Actor Dharmendra Summoned in Cheating Case Over Garam Dharam Dhaba Franchise
Actor Dharmendra Summoned in Cheating Case Over Garam Dharam Dhaba Franchise
Veteran actor Dharmendra, along with two others, has been called to appear in a Delhi Court concerning a cheating case linked to Garam Dharam Dhaba.
The summons was issued following a complaint from a Delhi businessman who accused them of deceiving him into investing in the restaurant’s franchise.
Summons were issued by judicial magistrate (first class) Yashdeep Chahal in response to a complaint from Delhi businessman Sushil Kumar. Kumar alleges that he was deceived into investing in the ‘Garam Dharam Dhaba’ franchise, according to ANI.
“The evidence on record prima facie indicates that the accused persons induced the complainant in furtherance of their common intent and the ingredients of offence of cheating are duly disclosed. Accordingly, let the accused persons at serial number 1 (Dharam Singh Deol), 2 and 3 be summoned for the commission of offences under section 420, 120B read with section 34 IPC. Let the accused persons at serial no. 2 and 3 be also summoned for the offence of criminal intimidation under section 506 of IPC,” says the court.
The court observed that at the summoning stage, only a prima facie case is to be considered, and a detailed examination of the case’s merits is not necessary.
The complaint filed by Sushil Kumar states that in April 2018, a co-accused approached him on behalf of Dharam with a proposal to establish a franchise of Garam Dharam Dhaba along NH-24/NH-9 in Uttar Pradesh.
The complainant claims he was enticed to invest in the franchise under the impression that the restaurant locations in Connaught Place, Delhi, and Murthal, Haryana, were achieving a monthly revenue of around ₹70 to 80 lakh.
He was led to believe that an investment of ₹41 lakh would yield a guaranteed profit of seven percent on his investment.
According to the complainant, following several meetings and email communications with the co-accused about the Garam Dharam Dhaba franchise, he was subsequently requested to invest ₹63 lakh plus tax and to secure land for the venture.
The court noted that the documents, particularly the letter of intent featuring the Garam Dharam Dhaba logo, unmistakably demonstrate that the transaction pertained to the restaurant and was being sought by the co-accused on behalf of accused Dharam Singh Deol.
On October 9, 2020, the court rejected a request for an order to register an FIR. Nevertheless, the court acknowledged the complaint and instructed the complainant to present evidence.
Advocate DD Pandey represented the complainant, Sushil Kumar. The Dhaba logo distinctly showed that the transaction was linked to the restaurant and was being handled by the co-accused on behalf of Dharam Singh Deol.
