A man charged by Forbesganj police for alleged fraud, forgery, and cheating involving ICICI Bank transactions has been acquitted after the prosecution failed to produce sufficient evidence during the trial.
The accused, Ramchandra Kumar, a resident of Pratapganj in Supaul district, was booked under multiple IPC sections following an FIR lodged on September 27, 2023, by Amit Kumar. The complaint alleged that Ramchandra had presented a cheque for Rs 5 lakh for transfer to the account of Jitendra Ram, which raised suspicion among bank officials.
ICICI Bank manager Chandan Kumar reported that a large withdrawal of Rs 1.009 crore had been made on September 26, 2023, from an account with a deposit of Rs 1.25 crore, triggering alerts. Banks in the India-Nepal border region maintain heightened vigilance due to frequent fake, suspicious, and hawala-linked transactions.
During the investigation, it emerged that one Tinku Kumar Ram had approached Ramchandra to encash the Rs 5 lakh cheque in return for Rs 1 lakh in cash, further deepening suspicions. Based on the police report, the court took cognizance and framed charges against Ramchandra.
However, over the course of the two-year trial, the state prosecution produced only one witness and failed to present additional oral or documentary evidence. Despite repeated directions from Judicial Magistrate Parnay Kumar, the prosecution did not produce the remaining listed witnesses.
Citing the absence of evidence, the trial court ruled that the charges could not be sustained and acquitted Ramchandra Kumar of all allegations.
