Guna (Madhya Pradesh): Court of additional sessions judge class IV, Monica Adhya in Guna sentenced a person, along with a sarpanch, to 10 years imprisonment for withdrawing money from the joint bank account of the person, preparing a fake death certificate of his father who was alive and went on pilgrimage. The court found the person guilty of identity theft and fraud, as well as the sarpanch for aiding and abetting in the crime. The judge emphasised the severity of their actions, highlighting the importance of upholding trust in financial institutions and ensuring justice for the victim. The court also slapped a fine of Rs 6,000 on each of them.
Ram Singh Yadav, a resident of Taknera village that falls under the Myana police station area appeared before the Guna SP during the public hearing on June 17, 2014. In his complaint, Yadav said that in 2009, he had opened a joint account at the Hotrod Road situated bank and deposited Rs 5.50 lakh, and gone on pilgrimage. But when he went to withdraw money from the bank in 2012, the bank officer told him that he was dead. He was told that his death certificate had been received from Gugor Gram Panchayat falls under Chhabra Tehsil of Baran District in Rajasthan.
On this, Ram Singh, despite being alive and claiming to be dead, requested the SP to help him get back his money and register the case. During the police investigation, it was revealed that a fake death certificate was issued on September 29, 2010, declaring Ram Singh, alias Raghuveer Sharan, dead on August 10, 2009, while he was alive. On the basis of this death certificate, his son Rajkumar Yadav withdrew Rs 69,263 from the joint account of the Bank in Guna on October 9, 2010. On this, the police registered a case against the applicant's son Ramkumar Yadav, sarpanch of Gugor Panchayat Kanhaiya Meena, secretary Rajendra Meena and Patel Badrilal Meena, residents of Ganeshpura Gram Panchayat Gugor.
After hearing both parties, the court admitted that the accused prepared fraudulent and forged documents and withdrew money from the bank on the basis of a fake death certificate, even when the applicant was alive. However, Patel Badrilal Meena died during the trial, while panchayat secretary Rajendra Meena was acquitted due to a lack of evidence against him. The applicant's son, Ramkumar Yadav, and Gugor Panchayat Sarpanch Kanhaiya Meena were given the above punishment. In this case, the advocacy on behalf of the government was done by AGP Rakesh Vyas.
