Thane: Belapur Court Acquits Two Men In 14-Year-Old Bank Fraud Case Over Lack Of Evidence

The Belapur Judicial Magistrate Court has acquitted two men who were arrested 14 years back in an alleged bank fraud case. The accused , Vijendra Prakash Yelke and Rahiman Abbas Mujawar, were acquitted on the grounds of lack of sufficient evidence.

The case stemmed from an incident on March 12, 2010, when an individual allegedly attempted to withdraw ₹22,000 from an Axis Bank branch using a forged cheque. The bank’s executive manager identified discrepancies in the signature, prompting an investigation that led to the arrest of Yelke and Mujawar the following day. The prosecution had charged them with theft, forgery, and fraud.

Despite the severity of the charges, the case saw prolonged delays, with charges framed only in January 2019 and evidence commencing in March 2024. The court examined multiple witnesses, including bank employees and investigators, but inconsistencies in testimonies and missing documentary evidence weakened the prosecution’s case.

The court found contradictions in the statements of key witnesses, including Axis Bank officials. The complainant, Abhaykumar Ramasare Shrivastav, initially claimed that bank authorities had handed over the accused along with documents to the police. However, a panch witness testified that police seized the documents three days later, raising doubts about the authenticity of the investigation.

Moreover, crucial evidence, such as the allegedly forged cheque and the bank records proving signature discrepancies, was not presented in court. The prosecution also failed to examine Ajit Kumar Singh, the account holder whose signature was allegedly forged.

Citing insufficient proof, Judicial Magistrate Mudassar Nadeem ruled that the prosecution had failed to establish guilt beyond a reasonable doubt, leading to the acquittal of both accused.