Man acquitted in bank fraud case

Araria: A man chargesheeted by Forbesganj police for alleged fraud, forgery and cheating linked to transactions at ICICI Bank has been acquitted after the prosecution failed to produce evidence during trial.

The accused, Ramchandra Kumar, resident of Pratapganj in Supaul district, had been booked under various IPC sections following an FIR lodged on Sept 27, 2023 by one Amit Kumar. The complaint alleged that Ramchandra presented a cheque for Rs 5 lakh for transfer to the account of Jitendra Ram, which bank officials found suspicious.

According to ICICI Bank manager Chandan Kumar, a large withdrawal of Rs 1,00,90,000 was made on Sept 26, 2023 from an account with a deposit of Rs 1,25,00,000, triggering red flags. Banks in the India-Nepal border belt, he said, maintain heightened vigilance due to frequent fake, suspicious and hawala-linked transactions.

During investigation, it surfaced that one Tinku Kumar Ram had approached the accused, asking him to encash the Rs 5 lakh cheque in return for Rs 1 lakh in cash — a detail that deepened suspicion. Acting on the police report, the court took cognizance and later framed charges against Ramchandra.

However, over more than two years of trial, the state prosecution produced only one witness and failed to submit any further oral or documentary evidence. Despite repeated directions issued by judicial magistrate Parnay Kumar, the prosecution did not produce the remaining listed witnesses.

Citing the absence of evidence, the trial court held that the charges could not be sustained and acquitted Ramchandra of all allegations.

Get an chance to win ₹5000 Amazon Voucher by taking part in India's Biggest Habit Index! Take the survey here