 Early Times Report
Jammu, Feb 28: Special Judge Anticorruption Jammu Haq Nawaz Zargar rejected the bail application of Jatinder Singh Branch Manager who was arrested by the Crime Branch in multicrore loan scam.
Special Judge Haq Nawaz Zargar after hearing APP Mohd Amir–al-Mansoor for the Crime Branch, observed that if the applicant is released on bail now, it is likely to prejudice the investigation which is being carried out. It is not possible for the court to monitor the sources of communication of the accused and to control his conversations with other co-accused particularly Mohd. Safeer who is absconding, so as to prevent the tampering with the evidence. The huge trail of money and its recovery is yet to be established. Some more arrest are likely to be made in future as investigating agency had already brought in the notice of this court that the sanction under section 17-A of the Prevention of Corruption Act had already been obtained viz-a-viz other bank employees also who had served In the concerned branches. Obviously, exercising the power of discretion for grant of bail in favour of the accused/applicant at this stage would prejudice the Investigation, thereby it not on!/ makes such white collared criminals emboldened but rendered this Investigation a futile exercise. Since , the investigation is going on to bring to surface the larger conspiracy and the Involvement of some more bank officials is likely to surface in coming days and In such circumstances, the present accused do not deserve the concession of bail. Court do not find any merit in the contention of the learned counsel for the applicant that he is not in a position to influence the witnesses. The involvement of the other accused/ bank employees and also the beneficiaries of the transactions is being examined. The accused, If released on bail at this stage, ca 'If the banking officials started eating the very vital of the deposits, than it's not possible to run the economy of the state smoothly."
While rejecting bail application, Special Judge Anticorruption Jammu Haq Nawaz Zargar observed that the banking system in India has its great significance particularly for the middle and lower strata of the society. The deposits with the bank are the trust which comes out of the hard earned money from the pockets of the common man The bank officials owe a divine duty to uphold that trust and invest the same adequately and properly, so that the depositors will get their due in time. If the banking officials started eating the very vital of the deposits, than its not possible to run the economy of the state smoothly. The corrupt approach on ' behalf of the bank officials can't be tolerated at any stage, as it is a direct threat to the economy of the country, which demands a zero tolerance approach to such culprits. The allegations point towards a systematic siphoning off of bank money by the accused with connivance of other accused persons. The trust which is reposed by the bank on its employee particularly accused that he would take care of the money of the bank and of its depositors stands breached. No doubt, the court has to balance between the individual liberty and the societal interest, but showing leniency in such matters by the courts amounts to doing disservice to the society and public interest in my opinion would not be served.
Before parting with this application in hand, Court would like to bring it to the notice of IGP Crime UT of J and K, that In economic offences/scams usually lengthy Investigations is a normal affair and is not only a test of investigating prowess but also his/her test of patience. So proper care must be taken while constituting a SIT and its member or appointing an IO. (JNF) | 