CBI court drops corruption angle in ₹323.4-crore Winsome Diamonds fraud case, shifts trial to magistrate

A CBI court has ruled no wrongdoing by public servants in the ₹323.40-crore Bank of Maharashtra fraud case, limiting it to private fraud allegations.

MUMBAI: In a significant development in the ₹323.40-crore Bank of Maharashtra fraud case linked to fugitive diamantaire Jatin Mehta, a special Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) court has ruled that there is no evidence of wrongdoing by public servants and allowed the case to proceed purely as a private fraud matter.

CBI court drops corruption angle in ₹323.4-crore Winsome Diamonds fraud case, shifts trial to magistrate

By an order passed on Thursday, special judge Dr J P Darekar permitted the CBI to move the case out of the anti-corruption framework after the agency informed the court that its investigation had not found any incriminating material against government officials. This effectively removes charges under the Prevention of Corruption Act and limits the case to offences such as cheating and criminal conspiracy under the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

The court accepted the CBI’s request to transfer the case to the court of the additional chief metropolitan magistrate (ACJM), Esplanade, where cases involving IPC offences are typically tried. The judge noted that while the FIR was originally registered under IPC sections 120B (criminal conspiracy) and 420 (cheating), along with provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act, the prosecution no longer intends to pursue charges against any public servant.

Recording this, the court directed that the FIR, currently with the sessions court, be transferred along with all related documents to the magistrate’s court, as required for filing the charge sheet. The Registrar (Sessions) has been instructed to carry out the transfer, formally shifting the case out of the special CBI court’s jurisdiction.

The case originates from a complaint filed on May 6, 2019, by a zonal manager of Bank of Maharashtra. The complaint alleged that Jatin Mehta, his company Winsome Diamonds & Jewellery Ltd, and others conspired between 2012 and 2013 to defraud the bank of ₹323.40 crore through various credit facilities.

According to the prosecution’s case, the alleged fraud involved overseas buyers, mainly in the UAE, who were said to be working with the accused to deliberately default on payments. This triggered the invocation of standby letters of credit by bullion banks, causing financial losses to the Indian lender while benefiting the accused entities.

With the corruption charges now dropped, the case has been recast as a fraud involving only private individuals. This change has important implications: the trial will now take place in a magistrate’s court, the scope of charges is narrower, and there are no longer any allegations of misuse of official position or involvement of public servants.

The order is notable given the broader context of the Winsome Diamonds banking fraud network, where multiple agencies, including the Enforcement Directorate, have been investigating large-scale defaults. However, this particular case will now move forward on a more limited legal footing, focused solely on cheating and conspiracy.