Seven persons put on trial in graft case

Seven persons, including two public servants, and a private firm have been put on trial by a Delhi court for allegedly conspiring to cheat a nationalised bank of Rs 3.36 crore by forging documents to take loan.
Special CBI judge Rakesh Syal framed charges against senior manager Anil Aggarwal and branch manager K B Relan of Punjab National Bank (PNB) for offences, including cheating, forgery using forged documents, under relevant sections of the IPC and the Prevention of Corruption Act.
The court also framed charges against private firm Gaaman Global Exports and its two partners Mahan Mukherjee and Rajender S Raikwar, private persons Anil Mahajan, Seema Nagpal and Surinder Kapoor.

During the adjudication of the case, PNB loan officer R L Jain, Gaaman CEO Arvind Johri and private person Margrate Anthony had died. Rajaram Sharma, an employee of the private firm, was earlier granted pardon by the court.
The court has fixed July 8 for recording of CBI evidence.
According to CBI, the case was registered on March 8, 2004 on an information that during 2001-03, Johri, Mukherjee and Raikwar had conspired with three officials of PNB, New Rohtak Road branch, to fraudulently obtain various credit facilities of around Rs 3.15 crore on the basis of forged documents.
It said the accused persons did not repay the loan amount to the bank and on February 29, 2004, their account had an outstanding dues of Rs 340.65 lakh.

"That all of you, during the period 2001-03, were party to a criminal conspiracy whereby you agreed to do or cause to be done an illegal act, to wit, to cheat Punjab National Bank pursuant to which you -- Mahan Mukherjee and Rajendera S Raikwar along with other co-accused, fraudulently or dishonestly induced the bank to grant you various credit facilities to the tune of approximately Rs 3.15 crore and caused wrongful loss of Rs 3.36 crore to the said bank...," the judge said.