MOHALI — In a major legal reprieve for Shahbaz Singh Sohi, the husband of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLA and former Punjab Minister Anmol Gagan Maan, the Mohali District Court has stayed the execution of a two-year prison sentence previously handed down in a cheque bounce matter. The stay order, issued late Thursday evening, follows an appeal filed by Sohi against the conviction order passed by a lower court in Dera Bassi earlier this week. The sessions court has formally accepted the appeal and halted the sentence pending further adjudication, providing significant temporary relief to the high-profile defendant and his associates.
The legal battle stems from a conviction on March 16, when the Dera Bassi court found Sohi and two of his business partners guilty in a cheque bounce case involving a substantial sum of approximately ₹3.5 crore. The lower court had sentenced all three individuals to two years of simple imprisonment and imposed a fine of ₹10,000 each. The case dates back to 2018 and involves a real estate dispute related to a housing project named “Silver City” in Rajpura. According to the complaint filed by Kamaljit Singh of Panchkula, a cheque issued by the partners of Platinum Smart Buildcon LLP—Sohi, Jatinder Singh, and Nachhatar Singh—was dishonoured by the bank due to insufficient funds, leading to nearly seven years of litigation.
Advocate Vikramjit Passi, representing Shahbaz Singh Sohi, confirmed that the sessions court has admitted the appeal against the Dera Bassi court’s verdict. While the court has granted the stay on the sentence, a detailed written order outlining the specific conditions and next steps in the appellate process is currently pending. Sohi, who is himself a lawyer by profession, had earlier been granted bail by the trial court on the spot to allow him the opportunity to challenge the conviction in a higher forum. The defense has consistently argued that the cheque in question was misused and that the signatures and particulars were not filled as alleged, contentions that will now be re-examined during the appeal.
The case has drawn significant political and public attention in Punjab, given Sohi’s marriage to Kharar MLA Anmol Gagan Maan in June 2024. At the time of their wedding, Maan was a prominent minister in the Bhagwant Mann-led Cabinet. The stay order ensures that Sohi will not face immediate incarceration as the higher court reviews the merits of the lower court’s judgment. Legal experts suggest that the outcome of this appeal will be a critical test for the enforcement of the Negotiable Instruments Act in high-value real estate transactions within the state.
