Haryana’s CBI special magistrate on Monday sentenced a man to four-year rigorous imprisonment and another to three-year rigorous imprisonment for forging the Prime Minister Office’s (PMO) letter to get a loan from a bank in Panipat.
Anil Kumar Aggarwal, resident of a village in Jind, had
applied for a loan of Rs. 8 lakh from a branch of Canara Bank, Panipat, in 2002 to set up a cold drink factory. The bank did not find him entitled as he lacked sufficient funds to ensure recovery.
Aggarwal then filed a complaint on September 2, 2002, before higher officials of the bank stating that despite being ordered by the PMO, he was not being given the loan. He produced the letter, dated August 29, 2002, signed by KC Rana, deputy secretary, PMO, and addressed to the assistant general manager of the bank.
The bank officials sent the letter to the PMO for verification. The PMO found it forged and informed the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), New Delhi.
After a preliminary inquiry, the CBI registered a case on June 6, 2003. The investigations revealed that a student of law, Jitender Rana, had forged the letter and signed as KC Rana, while there’s no officer by that name in the PMO. Rana also hailed from a village in Jind.
Both were arrested but later released on bail. Aggarwal said since he complained against the bank, so he was being framed.
After listening to arguments, the court of CBI special magistrate Atul Kumar Marya sentenced Aggarwal to four-year rigorous imprisonment and Rana to three-year rigorous imprisonment.