A man from Supaul district, who was formally charged by Forbesganj police in a case involving alleged fraud, forgery, and cheating linked to transactions at an ICICI Bank branch, has been acquitted by a trial court. The acquittal came after the state prosecution failed to produce sufficient evidence over a trial lasting more than two years.
The Allegations and the Initial FIR
The case dates back to September 27, 2023, when an FIR was lodged by one Amit Kumar. The complaint targeted Ramchandra Kumar, a resident of Pratapganj in Supaul district. The core allegation was that Ramchandra had presented a cheque for Rs 5 lakh intended for transfer to the account of a person named Jitendra Ram. Bank officials found this transaction to be suspicious and flagged it.
According to the bank manager, Chandan Kumar, the alert was part of a broader context of vigilance. He explained that banks operating in the India-Nepal border belt, like the one in Araria, maintain heightened scrutiny due to the frequency of fake, suspicious, and hawala-linked transactions in the region. The suspicion was further triggered by a preceding transaction where a large withdrawal of Rs 1,00,90,000 was made on September 26, 2023, from an account that had a deposit of Rs 1,25,00,000.
Investigation Reveals a Middleman
During the police investigation, a new layer was added to the case. It came to light that an individual named Tinku Kumar Ram had approached the accused, Ramchandra Kumar. Tinku Kumar Ram allegedly asked Ramchandra to encash the Rs 5 lakh cheque in return for Rs 1 lakh in cash. This arrangement, offering a significant cut for simply encashing a cheque, deepened the authorities' suspicion of foul play.
Acting on the police report, the court took cognizance of the matter and later formally framed charges against Ramchandra Kumar under various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).
Prosecution's Case Collapses in Court
However, the prosecution's case began to unravel during the trial phase. Over the course of more than two years, the state's lawyers managed to produce only one witness. They failed to submit any further oral or documentary evidence to substantiate the serious charges of fraud, forgery, and cheating.
Judicial Magistrate Parnay Kumar issued repeated directions to the prosecution to produce the remaining listed witnesses, but these orders were not complied with. The prosecution offered no substantive evidence to back the claims made in the FIR and the chargesheet.
Citing the complete absence of evidence, the trial court concluded that the charges against Ramchandra Kumar could not be sustained. The court held that without proof, the allegations must fall. Consequently, Ramchandra Kumar was acquitted of all allegations leveled against him.
The verdict highlights the critical importance of evidence in the judicial process and serves as a reminder that charges, however serious, must be proven beyond reasonable doubt in a court of law.
