Mumbai: The metropolitan magistrate court has issued a fresh notice to the investigating officer of 58 crore South Indian Education Society (SIES) Trust cheating case registered in 2014, as the officer has still not filed any report on missing original First Information Report (FIR).
Missing FIR Discovered in February Last Year
The original copy of the FIR was found to be missing from the court record in February last year when the court was recording testimony of the first witness, Ganesh Shankaran, a trustee. Even after repeated notices to the investigating officer, the report has still not been submitted because of which the trial could not proceed.
In July 2014, the trust had noticed that the funds to the tune of ₹58 crore kept in fixed deposits were siphoned off and subsequently diverted to other accounts. This revelation led the Economic Offences Wing (EOW) of the crime branch to a group that had cheated several other trusts and institutions.
Trial Began in 2022 After Eight Years
After eight years of lodging the case, the trial finally began on June 20, 2022, when the examined its first witness, Shankaran. However, even on that day, recording of the testimony of Shankaran did not conclude. It kept pending for three years.
Finally, when on February 14, 2025, the prosecution resumed the examination of Shankaran, the court noticed that the original FIR was not on the record. Hence, the case was adjourned to March 13, 2025, with a direction to the prosecution to locate it. When the case came up for hearing on March 13, 2025, the public prosecutor was not available. Hence, the court issued a notice to the IO for the documents.
Since March 13, 2025, the magistrate court has issued several notices to investigating officers to submit a report on the missing FIR, but it has not been submitted. Even on Tuesday, the court has issued fresh notice to the investigating officer to submit the report adjourning to June 25.
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