Pune Sessions Court Directs Banks to Transfer Rs57.59 Lakh in Major Fraud Case
A sessions court in Pune has issued a significant order directing five banks to transfer Rs57.59 lakh from accounts held by three accused individuals and their two private companies to the account of a Kothrud-based IT engineer. This engineer was the victim of a massive Rs14.39 crore fraud that occurred last year, where the perpetrators promised to cure his two daughters of serious ailments through black magic rituals.
Court Proceedings and Order Details
Additional Sessions Judge PR Choudhary passed this order on February 27 while allowing a criminal miscellaneous application filed by the complainant. The application was connected to an FIR registered by Kothrud police station. The court specifically directed the banks to transfer the funds from accounts held in four private banks and one cooperative bank.
The court also imposed important conditions on the complainant: he must execute a 'supurtnama' bond of Rs60 lakh and furnish an undertaking that he would redeposit the amount if required during the pendency of the criminal case. This safeguard ensures proper handling of the transferred funds while the legal proceedings continue.
Background of the Fraud Case
The case revolves around serious allegations against a woman who claimed to possess spiritual healing powers, along with her husband and an associated spiritual guru. According to police investigations, these individuals systematically cheated the IT engineer and his family over several years by promising to cure his daughters' serious medical conditions through various rituals.
The fraudulent scheme involved:
- Persuading the family to transfer substantial sums of money
- Convincing them to sell properties in both the United Kingdom and Pune
- Resulting in estimated losses of approximately Rs14.39 crore
Investigation and Financial Recovery
During the investigation, Pune police had frozen the bank accounts held by the three accused individuals and their two companies. The seized financial assets included bank balances, fixed deposits, and insurance policies. The complainant subsequently approached the court seeking directions to defreeze these accounts and transfer the amounts to him.
Notably, the accused filed replies stating they had no objection to the funds being transferred to the victim. The court verified this no-objection during the proceedings, which significantly influenced the final decision.
Specific Banking Instructions
After considering the consent expressed by the accused and hearing arguments from all parties involved, the court issued detailed instructions to the financial institutions:
- All five banks were directed to transfer the balances in the specified accounts to the complainant's account
- One particular bank received specific instructions to transfer fixed deposits worth over Rs41 lakh
- The insurance company was ordered to release the surrender value of multiple policies held by the accused
This comprehensive order represents a significant step in recovering funds for the victim of this elaborate fraud scheme that exploited a family's vulnerability and medical concerns through promises of spiritual healing.
