95-yr-old unable to walk, court goes to him, delivers verdict

PATNA: The justice clock at Patna district courts ticked towards a rare moment on Monday when special judge Avinash Kumar of the CBI court delivered the verdict in a 15-year-old bank fraud case not inside a courtroom, but on the roadside.

The extraordinary hearing took place outside the court premises as the accused, Jai Narayan Singh, a frail 95-year-old man, lay inside a vehicle, barely able to move his legs. At the fag end of his life, he admitted his guilt and pleaded for amnesty.

The judge held Jai Narayan guilty, and disposed of the case after imposing a fine of Rs 2,000 on him. He was spared a prison sentence because of his advanced age and debilitating condition.

The special court also took notice of the fact that Jai Narayan had already refunded to UCO Bank the entire loan amount - approximately Rs 4 lakh - which he had fraudulently obtained 15 years ago for the purchase of a tractor on the basis of forged documents.

CBI had registered the case in 2011 against fake borrowers and other accused persons, including employees of UCO Bank, who allegedly swindled public money under the garb of agricultural loan schemes in Jamui district of Bihar.

The judge heard the matter for nearly 35 minutes on the road leading to Patna civil courts.


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