HYDERABAD: The XI Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate at Secunderabad acquitted three persons who were accused of causing a deficiency in groceries worth ₹22.93 lakh in 2015 when they were appointed to run the unit-run CSD canteen at NCC Group Headquarters in Secunderabad.
Terming the investigation as ‘ perfunctory and tainted’, the court in a recent order said the investigation was carried out by the Bowenpally police in a very formal manner. The main accused is still absconding and another accused died during the trial.
After the NCC found a deficiency in the grocery stock at the canteen during an audit, a departmental Inquiry found that the five accused were responsible for the deficiency of grocery stock. The NCC lodged a complaint with the Bowenpally police who collected a copy of the proceedings of the court of inquiry from the NCC.
During the trial, the court found that no document was produced showing that the accused were appointed to work in the canteen, making the allegations ‘unconvincing’. The proceedings of the court of the inquiry had no signatures of the authorised persons. Police had also not submitted the audit report of the canteen, which had actually shed light on fraud.
The court noted that the investigation officers did not collect any documents to support the case and without any evidence concluded that the accused were responsible for the fraud.
“No material to establish the contention that documents or records were forged are produced before this court to verify the accounts in order to come to a conclusion whether any acts of misappropriation or falsification of accounts was committed by the accused or not. No confession statements of the accused were recorded and the property or records from them, which is fatal to the case,” ruled the court.
