A Special CBI court has acquitted Punjab Police Inspector General Gautam Cheema and five others of all the charges in a 2014 case related to the kidnapping of Proclaimed Offender Sumedh Gulati over profit-sharing in a joint property venture.The 1995-batch IPS officer, Cheema, along with five others, were sentenced to eight months of rigorous imprisonment (RI) for criminal conspiracy and obstructing a public servant in the case.The 54-year-old along with suspended chief executive officer of the Ambala Cantonment Board, Ajay Chaudhary (55), Sector 51 resident Rashmi Negi (38), Sector 46 resident Varun Utreja (44), Sector 37 resident Vicky Verma (49), and Sirsa resident Aryan Singh (33), were convicted of criminal conspiracy and obstructing a public servant in the discharge of public functions on December 20, 2024.Terming it as “unwarranted and unsustainable in law”, the court set aside the order recorded by the learned Special Judicial Magistrate under Sections 120-B, 186 and 225 IPC on December 20, 2024.“All the appeals are allowed. The accused are accordingly acquitted of all the charges and the judgment and order of Special Judge, CBI, are set aside. All pending applications in the appeals also stand disposed of. Bail bonds and surety bonds of accused already furnished shall remain extended for six months in terms of section 437-A of CrPC, the order, dated April 21 read.IG Cheema, a resident of Sector 8, and others were accused of kidnapping and criminal intimidation of Gulati, who was allegedly taken from the Phase 1 police station to a hospital. Gulati was a co-accused, with realtor Devinder Gill, in a cheating case. Gill and his wife Kricpy Khera had alleged that IGP Cheema had foisted false cases against them over a dispute of profit-sharing in a joint venture.Cheema was, however, acquitted of kidnapping and criminal intimidation charges and all the accused were granted bail in December 2024.