Ahmedabad (Gujarat) [India], December 21 : The CBI court on Saturday sentenced 15 accused, including the former branch manager of the State Bank of Saurashtra at Naroda Road in Ahmedabad to rigorous imprisonment ranging from 3 to 5 years in a fraud case.
Additionally, they were fined a total of Rs 15.35 lakh, according to a CBI press release.
The fifteen accused included Becharbhai Ganeshbhai Zala, the former Branch Manager of the State Bank of Saurashtra located on Naroda Road, Ahmedabad. The other fourteen accused are private individuals, as stated in the official release.
https://x.com/CBIHeadquarters/status/1870440602305020389
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) registered the case on September 11, 2001, against the accused the main accused, BG Zala, who was then the Branch Manager of the State Bank of Saurashtra, Naroda Road Branch.
The accused is alleged to have participated in a criminal conspiracy in Ahmedabad with several private individuals to defraud the State Bank of Saurashtra, Naroda Road Branch.
According to CBI, Zala is accused of taking advantage of his position as a public servant in the area of public housing finance by approving housing loans totalling Rs 1.62 crore, based on forged and fraudulent documents submitted by various borrowers.
In his capacity as Branch Manager, B G Zala, in furtherance of this criminal conspiracy, failed to verify the loan eligibility of these borrowers. By misusing his official position, he sanctioned housing loans to them dishonestly and fraudulently, the release said.
After completing the investigation, the CBI filed nine separate chargesheets on various dates against the accused, including those who were convicted. Among these nine special cases, judgments have been pronounced for five cases.
The charges against nine accused individuals have been dropped due to their demise during the trial.