3 sentenced three 7 years RI

Mumbai, Dec 26 (UNI) A local court today sentenced three persons, including a chartered accountant (CA) attached to Railway Mathadi Workers Board, to undergo seven years rigorous imprisonment (RI) for misappropriation of board's funds in 1994.

Additional Sessions Court Judge A V Potdar observed that Deepak Chandane, Nivruti Yeole (both accountants) and Sahukar Gunjal (chatered accountant), attached to Railway Goods Clearing and Forwarding Unprotected Workers' Board, had siphoned off Rs 74 lakh by forging documents and preparing bogus records of Provident Fund and salary of mathadi workers.

Chandane and Yeole were held guilty under section 120 (b), 465, 466, 467 and 409 of Indian Penal Code (IPC) and 13(2)(13) of Prevention of Corruption Act to suffer seven years RI and pay fine of Rs five lakh each, in default of which they would have to undergo additional RI for four years.

Gunjal, however, was held guilty under section 13(2) 13(1) of Prevention of Corruption Act and sentenced to seven years RI and pay a fine of Rs two lakh, in default of which he would have to undergo RI for one and a half years.

However, three other accused -- Tanaji Pawar, Pandurang Dhumal and Tukaram Shirke -- were acquitted by the court due to lack of evidence against them.

Defence advocate Girish Kulkarni told the court that there was allegation against the accused persons that they had siphoned off over Rs one crore from the Railway Mathadi Worker Board's fund, but documents of Rs 74 crore were not found against them and case was registered.

He further argued that this was going on since 1987 and the case was registered in 1994. But the prosecution filed the chargesheet in 1997. More than one dozen witnesses were examined in the case.

Mr Kulkarni said that he would challege the conviction in the Bombay High Court.

UNI ST SSS AKJ RK2010