Madras HC Provides Bail to IT Officers and TN Cop in Rs 20 Lakh Theft Case
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Synopsis
The Madras High Court has granted bail to three Income Tax officers and a Tamil Nadu Police Sub-Inspector involved in a robbery case concerning Rs 20 lakh stolen from a businessman's employee. The court ruled that the recovered money's non-deposit was not valid grounds for opposing bail.
Key Takeaways
- Bail granted to four individuals.
- Accused include Income Tax officers and a police officer.
- Incident involved a robbery of Rs 20 lakh.
- Victim was transporting cash for a business purchase.
- Court directed authorities to deposit recovered funds.
Chennai, Feb 3 (NationPress) The Madras High Court on Monday provided bail to three Income Tax officers and a Tamil Nadu Police Sub-Inspector implicated in the theft of Rs 20 lakh from a businessman's employee.
A bench led by Justice Sunder Mohan issued bail to officers Damodharan, Pradeep, and S.P. Prabhu, alongside Sub-Inspector Raja Singh, who were detained by the Greater Chennai Police on December 16, 2024.
Their detention came after a report by Mohammed Ghouse, who alleged that he was robbed of Rs 20 lakh while transporting the cash for his employer.
Ghouse was employed by Junaid Ahmed, a prominent Congress leader from Vaniyambadi and owner of a CT scan centre. Ahmed had entrusted him with Rs 20 lakh to acquire a new CT scanner, directing him to deliver Rs 10 lakh to an agent in Triplicane.
On December 15, 2024, Ghouse went to Chennai and the following day, while riding his motorcycle from Old Washermenpet, he was stopped near the Omandurar Government Multi-Specialty Hospital by Traffic SI Raja Singh. Upon seeing the cash, the SI stated he would notify the Income Tax Department. Shortly thereafter, three individuals arrived in a vehicle, claiming to be IT officials and indicating they would transport Ghouse to the IT office in Nungambakkam. However, once the SI departed, the group took Ghouse to a remote area near the Egmore Children’s Hospital, threatened him with a knife, and stole the money.
Post-incident, Ghouse alerted his employer, who subsequently filed a complaint at the Triplicane Police Station.
During the bail proceedings, the complainant's attorney contested the bail requests, asserting that the stolen funds had not been submitted to the magistrate.
While the police had recovered the cash, it remained unsent, hindering the complainant's ability to retrieve it.
Nevertheless, Justice Sunder Mohan determined that the lack of deposit of the recovered funds could not be a reason to deny bail. The court instructed the police to deposit the cash with the magistrate and granted bail to the accused.
