Early Times Report
JAMMU, Oct 29: In a major setback to a State Bank of India (SBI) Manager accused of involvement in an alleged Rs 1.78-crore petrol pump fraud, the Court of 1st Additional Sessions Judge, Jammu, Amarjeet Singh Langeh, has rejected his anticipatory bail application and withdrawn the interim protection earlier granted to him.
The court observed that protection from arrest cannot be granted mechanically by overlooking the seriousness of economic offences and the prima facie evidence indicating an accused person's involvement in an alleged fraudulent scheme.
The order was passed on October 28 on an application filed by Javaid Ashraf Bhatti, a resident of Gandhi Nagar, Jammu, seeking anticipatory bail in FIR No. 40/2025 registered by the Economic Offences Wing (EOW), Crime Branch, Jammu, under Sections 420 and 120-B of the Ranbir Penal Code.
According to the prosecution, the accused allegedly induced two complainants to part with substantial amounts of money by falsely representing himself as the owner of Kalakote Filling Station in Rajouri district and offering to sell the petrol pump.
The first complainant, Nazir Ahmed, alleged that he was cheated of ?1,40,50,000, while another complainant, S. Yudhbir Singh Sudan, alleged that ?37.50 lakh was obtained from him in connection with the purported sale of the same petrol pump.
During the investigation, it allegedly emerged that the petrol pump actually belonged to Showkat Ali and not to the accused.
The court noted that the investigation indicated the accused had allegedly negotiated separate transactions with both complainants without disclosing the parallel dealings.
It further observed that the accused, despite being an SBI Manager, had allegedly used his wife as a front for financial transactions while remaining actively involved in the negotiations.
The investigation also revealed that ?82.60 lakh had been credited to the account of the accused's wife by another person, Razia Begum, an aspect which was also under investigation.
Advocate Mohsin Bhatt, appearing for the petitioner, argued that his client had been falsely implicated in a dispute of a purely civil nature and had no direct connection with the alleged fraudulent transaction.
Opposing the application, Additional Public Prosecutor Sarfraz Ahmed submitted that the allegations involved serious financial cheating and that custodial interrogation was necessary to investigate the alleged conspiracy.
After examining the case diary and material collected during the investigation, Judge Langeh observed that the accused appeared to have played a central role in approaching the complainants, conducting negotiations and facilitating the receipt and transfer of money.
The court held that the seriousness of the allegations, the substantial amount involved, the prima facie material collected and the ongoing investigation did not justify extending protection from arrest.
Accordingly, the court dismissed the anticipatory bail application and recalled the interim protection granted to the petitioner.
The court, however, clarified that its observations were confined to deciding the bail application and would not influence the merits of the case during trial.
(JNF) |
