Pune: A special court convicted and sentenced Laxman Rathod (39), former manager of Indian Overseas Bank 's Indapur branch, Avinash Gholap (58), son of a former Indapur ML, and agri-businessman Hanumant Salunke on separate counts relating to criminal misconduct and forgery for siphoning loans of 42 farmers to the tune of Rs 7.94 crore under the Kisan Credit Card scheme and Agri Green loan, between 2013 and 2016. The court sentenced the three accused to two years' rigorous imprisonment on two counts for cheating and forgery.
The trio was also sentenced to six months RI for criminal conspiracy . The court fined Rathod Rs 1.5 lakh, while Gholap and Salunke were fined Rs 95,000 each.
Lawyer Rahul Deshmukh, representing the bank manager , told TOI, "The three convicts were released on bail because they were convicted for offences below three years. The convicts would be filing an appeal in Bombay High Court to challenge the conviction order." The court acquitted the fourth accused, Abindya Inje (39), the bank's rural development officer and assistant manager, due to lack of evidence.
Special judge Arvind S Waghmare held in his judgment on Sept 6, "The oral and documentary evidence on record discloses larger irregularities such as not obtaining CIBIL report of guarantor, not obtaining all documents like legal opinion and valuation report etc. No mortgage deed was done before disbursing the loan, proforma invoices were not obtained, bills of purchases of equipment which were require.