DEHRADUN: The Uttarakhand high court on Thursday declined to grant immediate relief to a Dehradun-based industrialist accused of fraud, directing the state government to submit a detailed report by Jan 23, the date of the next hearing.
The plea of Sudhir Kumar Windlass, a prominent builder and industrialist, was reviewed by a single bench of Justice Alok Kumar Verma. Windlass cited health issues as the basis for his bail request. Opposing counsel argued, however, that “the court has already dismissed two previous applications, and this one should meet the same fate.”
Windlass faces allegations of fraud, including luring poor individuals and others into selling their land, which he then allegedly transferred to another businessman. Following complaints from the victims, the state government launched an investigation, later transferring the case to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). The CBI investigation implicated Windlass and three associates in the alleged scam.
The court said, “The allegations are serious, and a thorough review is essential.” It instructed the state government to submit a comprehensive report before the next hearing.
Last year, the CBI special court rejected Windlass’s first bail plea. He subsequently filed two bail applications in the High Court, both of which were denied. His third application, submitted on Thursday, encountered similar opposition.
