Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, May 17: Principal Sessions Judge, Jammu Jang Bhadur Singh Jamwal today awarded 17 years rigorous imprisonment and fine of Rs 3.50 lakh to Bodh Raj, son of Kaka Ram of Shastri Nagar, owner of Bharat Finance Company, Kanak Mandi.
According to the police case, one Shera Bibi had deposited an amount of Rs 4 lakh with the M/s Bharat Finance Co. Jammu. Later, on various occasions, she withdrew total amount of Rs 83,000 thereby leaving balance of Rs 3.17 lakh with the finance company.
In order to dupe the complainant of hard earned money, Bodh Raj prepared a fake ‘Hundi’ for transferring her account in the name of her husband Bashir Ahmed mentioning that same has been adjusted against the alleged debit of her husband, which in fact had neither been obtained nor the hundi signed by Bashir Ahmed.
In this way, the owner of finance company cheated the complainant of Rs 3.17 lakh. Acting on the complaint of Shera Bibi, police registered a case for offence under Section 420,467 RPC against the owner of the finance company.
After hearing Public Prosecutor Shabir Choudhary for the State and Advocate Krishan Kumar for the accused, Principal Sessions Judge observed, “prosecution has successfully proved the case against the accused, who obtained the signature of complainant on a simple unwritten paper and with his own hand writing he transferred the amount to the loan against her husband”.
The Court further observed, “the economic offences are on rise and activities of such kind of persons those who are looting the countrymen is also on increase. Within the days, the companies are flouted and lot of people duped of their valuable securities and money and thereafter companies are closed”, adding “their offices, run away from one place to another, ruins the innocents persons of the country. Many people are lured by these companies obtained the deposits tendering them assurances of higher rate of interest”.
“Tender mind is arrested with shackles of allurement on higher rate of interest which every one would like to have. J&K is a soft target for such kind of cheaters. The punishment has to be deterrent for others to look at”, Principal Sessions Judge said, adding “Court is conscious of the age of the accused and particularly ailment—medical report given by Dr Devinder Sauntra and Dr Sunil Gupta, but, still I am declined to take the lenient view and these kind of persons are to be hammered heavenly to be lodged in the jail for longer time so that they are unable to loot the others and disturb their sleep”.
With these observations, the Court awarded rigorous imprisonment for a period of seven years under Section 420 RPC and fine of Rs 1.5 lakh and rigorous imprisonment for 10 years under Section 467 RPC. However, both the sentences will run concurrently, the Court clarified.