Aspecial Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) court acquitted three people, 32 years after they were accused of defrauding UCO Bank of Rs 45 lakh by using fake and forged documents.
“Whatever evidence available on record is brittle, which does not inspire confidence. In view of the evidence discussed above, this court is of the considered view that the prosecution has failed to establish the charge against the accused beyond a reasonable doubt,” said the court.
The case details:
The three accused, a UCO Bank clerk and two private employees, were charged in 1989. These three, along with six others, were accused of cheating UCO Bank Main Branch of Rs 45 lakh.
Four accused died during the pendency of the case. Meanwhile, one of the defendants moved the Bombay High Court for a stay of proceedings. The high court in 2008 had stayed the trial against him.
While one of the accused is a company that is sold out now, those facing the trial are between 75 and 80 years of age.
The rest of the accused, who were also not keeping well due to old age, requested the court to segregate their trial from the other accused who had received a stay order. The trial against the remaining three suspects was then resumed in May 2021.
The court’s order:
The prosecution called eight witnesses, including a CBI Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) Inspector, to establish the accused’s guilt.
After reviewing the evidence, the court concluded, “It is clear that all these witnesses brought into the picture the role played by the accused number 1 to 5 [those who have passed away or the one who got stay from high court]. Their testimony remained silent about the role played by the three accused facing the charge and their actual involvement in the alleged crime.”
“There is nothing on record against the present accused to show they fabricated false documents as alleged by the prosecution,” the court noted.