19 years after FIR, Delhi court orders framing charges against ex-FSO, 2 others in cheating case

New Delhi, Aug 20 (PTI) Around 19 years after an FIR was registered against a former food safety officer (FSO) and others for cheating and forgery, a Delhi court has ordered framing of charges against them.

Special Judge Ruchi Aggarwal Asrani was hearing the case against then FSO Sunil Kumar Sachan and two others, against whom a case was registered in 2006 on charges of cheating for a criminal conspiracy and using a forged document as genuine.

In an order dated August 18, the court said, "A grave suspicion arises indicating the active involvement of accused Sunil Kumar Sachan with co-accused Simpal Garg and Rajeev Kumar, who conspired to cheat and forge the signature of a deceased person, Dunger Singh, to illegally obtain a kerosene oil depot (KOD) licence to cause financial benefit to accused Rajeev Kumar." Noting the evidence before it, the court said a prima facie case was made against the three accused for forging the signature of a dead person to obtain a KOD licence.

According to the prosecution, Sachan allegedly renewed the licence of a KOD in Gokulpul in 2005 using the signature of Singh, a licence holder with a major share in the depot, who passed away a year ago.

In 2006, the Anti-Corruption Branch (ACB) lodged the FIR.

The ACB earlier filed a closure report in the case, which was rejected by the court. PTI MNR ARI