Huge amount deposited in accounts of dead, High Court told

Saurabh Malik

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, September 15

A scam, allegedly involving deposition of a “huge amount” in the bank accounts of the dead after being withdrawn from other accounts without the knowledge of the holders, has been brought to the Punjab and Haryana High Court’s notice.

Justice Harsimran Singh Sethi was told about the scam during the hearing of a petition filed by Kulwinder Pal Singh against the State of Punjab and other respondents. He was seeking the grant of anticipatory bail in an FIR registered on May 17 last year for criminal conspiracy, cheating, forgery and other offences under Sections 408, 409, 419, 420, 465, 467, 468, 471 and 120-B of the IPC at the Sultanwind police station in Amritsar district.

The petitioner’s counsel argued he had been wrongly roped in the matter as all acts of forgery, illegal withdrawal and deposit of the amount in the accounts of the holders were done by Magwinder Singh, secretary, Cooperative Society, Sultanwind.

The state counsel, on the other hand, submitted the petitioner was not named in the FIR but was part of the scam, where a huge amount was withdrawn from the accounts of the holders without their knowledge and deposited in the accounts of the dead. Thereafter, it was withdrawn by Magwinder in connivance with the petitioner working as a manager.

Justice Sethi asserted the court was required to give a prima facie view whether the custodial interrogation of the petitioner was necessary to unearth the scam where innocent accountholders were duped of their money without their knowledge or amount deposited in the accounts of the holders was withdrawn by accused Magwinder in connivance with others, including the petitioner, after the death of the accountholders.

Referring to the submission of the petitioner’s counsel that the accounts of the dead were opened when the petitioner was not posted in the branch concerned, Justice Sethi asserted it could not be the grounds to grant the benefit of anticipatory bail.

“The petitioner might not have been posted in the branch at the time of opening of accounts, but admittedly those accounts were operated after the death of the accountholders and the illegal operations of the accounts were done during the tenure of the petitioner,” Justice Sethi asserted, while dismissing the petition.

Coop society scam: bail plea dismissed

• Petitioner Kulwinder Pal Singh had moved the HC against State of Punjab and other respondents seeking anticipatory bail in an FIR registered on May 17, 2019
• State counsel submitted the petitioner was part of the scam where a huge amount was withdrawn from holders’ accounts and deposited in the accounts of the dead
• Money was then withdrawn by Magwinder Singh, secretary, Cooperative Society, Sultanwind, in connivance with petitioner working as a manager
• HC dismissed plea saying assertion that accounts of dead were opened when petitioner was not posted in the branch was no grounds for relief