Ahmedabad Court Hands Down Three-Year Sentence in Major School Embezzlement Case
In a significant ruling, a Judicial Magistrate First Class (JMFC) court in Ahmedabad has convicted and sentenced three individuals, including a long-serving school clerk, to three years of rigorous imprisonment for their involvement in a criminal conspiracy to defraud St Xavier's School, Loyola Hall. The court, presided over by Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate D H Khambhati, also imposed a fine of Rs 50,000 on each of the accused.
Details of the Fraud and Accused
The convicted individuals are Manisha Vasava, who worked as a clerk at the school for 21 years, along with Dhiren Adhikari and Jayesh Vasvani. According to the prosecution, Vasava exploited her position of trust, having access to the school's cheque books, to siphon off a staggering Rs 3.2 crore from the institution's bank accounts. The fraudulent activities spanned at least six months, from July 2019 to February 2020, during which Rs 2.84 crore was illicitly transferred via cheques and RTGS transactions.
Furthermore, Vasava was accused of misappropriating an additional Rs 33.65 lakh that she had collected from students as fees for the academic years 2018-19 and 2019-20. The other two accused, Adhikari and Vasvani, allegedly assisted in transferring the embezzled funds to a company registered in Vasvani's name, facilitating the laundering of the stolen money.
Court Proceedings and Verdict
During the trial, the prosecution presented compelling evidence detailing the systematic nature of the fraud. After finding the trio guilty of criminal conspiracy and breach of trust, the court acquitted them of forgery charges due to insufficient evidence on that specific count. Following the conviction, the defendants pleaded for leniency, citing various personal circumstances.
However, the prosecution argued for a stringent punishment, particularly for Vasava, highlighting her prior conviction in a cheque return case. In his remarks, the magistrate emphasized the growing societal concern over such financial crimes, stating, "Incidents of siphoning off money and criminal breach of trust are on the surge in society. When a clerk commits breach of trust, it is considered very damaging because common people generally trust them with office transactions. It is also necessary to ensure that people do not get encouragement to commit such offences."
Broader Implications and School's Response
The case has sent shockwaves through the local educational community, underscoring vulnerabilities in financial oversight within institutions. St Xavier's School lodged the complaint after discovering the discrepancies, leading to a thorough investigation that uncovered the extent of the embezzlement. The sentencing serves as a stark reminder of the legal consequences for financial misconduct and the importance of robust internal controls to prevent such breaches.
This ruling not only brings closure to a prolonged legal battle but also aims to deter similar crimes by demonstrating the judiciary's firm stance against corruption and fraud in trusted positions.
