The Chhattisgarh High Court has quashed the CBI court’s order, providing relief to the bank manager.
Bilaspur. Justice Rajni Dubey of the Chhattisgarh High Court, while hearing a criminal case, stated that suspicion, no matter how strong, cannot take the place of evidence. In a significant judgment, the High Court overturned the CBI court’s conviction order in a 36-year-old loan case and acquitted the accused. This decision has brought great relief to the three accused, including the manager of Dena Bank.
The CBI had investigated a case involving the sanctioning of loans by Dena Bank in Raipur. According to the CBI, Indrajeet Solanki, the then branch manager of Dena Bank, conspired with Sudarshan Jain and Sudhir Kshirsagar between 1989 and 1992. Solanki misused his official position to sanction a loan of Rs. 1.5 lakh in the names of non-existent firms, M/s Shilpa Enterprises and M/s Srivastava Traders. The documents of both these firms were found to be forged. The CBI investigation revealed that these firms did not exist. The CBI registered a case under various sections, including fraud, and filed a charge sheet in the CBI court. After the trial, the CBI court sentenced the three accused in 2007 under sections related to conspiracy, fraud, forgery, and the Prevention of Corruption Act. The accused appealed this sentence in the High Court.
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The CBI alleged that the two firms, Shilpa Enterprises and Srivastava Traders, did not exist, but loans of Rs. 1 lakh and Rs. 50,000 were sanctioned in their names. However, most of the government witnesses and bank officials admitted that the stock was regularly insured, which is only possible if actual goods exist. Money was deposited into the loan accounts for several years, which clearly indicated that the firms were active. Letters regarding change of address and their receipts were also available in the bank records, which the CBI did not consider important during the investigation. Also Read – Mega Health Camp in Raipur from December 18, 2025
The High Court stated that it was not proven that any document was forged, nor was there any evidence that the accused were involved in a criminal conspiracy. No irregularities were found in the bank audit, nor was any departmental inquiry conducted. Citing several Supreme Court judgments in similar cases, the High Court said that concrete and reliable evidence is necessary to prove a crime. The High Court overturned the sentences of all three and ordered their acquittal.
