Court asks developer’s former employee to surrender, rejects bail plea

The Allahabad high court has asked Suninder Sandha, accused of siphoning off Rs 6 crore of homebuyers’ money while working as marketing director of Horizon Concept group, to surrender in a local court within 15 days. Sandha, who has been absconding since an FIR was registered against him on August 20 at Sector 20 police station, had sought anticipatory bail from the high court.

On September 7, the court rejected his plea and asked him to first surrender in the Greater Noida court and then seek bail.

“The bench of justice Vikram Nath and justice RN Kakkar said they did not find any merit in his bail petition. The court asked Sandha to surrender in the lower court within 14 days and seek bail,” said Naresh Sabharwal, managing director of Horizon Concept and Sandha’s former employer.

The incident had come to light in August when a homebuyer approached the office of Horizon Group at Sector 2 seeking a refund. The company found that the homebuyer had paid more than R16 lakh but only R12 lakh was credited in the company’s account. An internal investigation found that Sandha, who was the marketing director of the company for four years, had opened a fake account in the company’s name and transferred part of homebuyers’ payments in that account.

“In the last four years he duped us of more than R 6 crore. After the incident came to light, we registered an FIR against him at Sector 20 police station,” said Sabharwal.

Police said they have not been able to trace Sandha yet.

“A police team searched all his possible hideouts, but he was not found. The matter is under investigation,” said Amarnath Yadav, station house officer, Sector 20 police station.