15-year-old forgery case: EOW files 1,000-page chargesheet against former forest officer
Raipur: The Economic Offences Wing (EOW) has filed a 1,000-page chargesheet against former forest range officer S C Soni in a 15-year-old case involving alleged fabrication of records, fake thumb impressions and signatures of workers and misappropriation of government funds.
The case was brought to the authorities’ notice by Santosh Kumar Malik, then forest range clerk in Baikunthpur, Koriya district. He alleged that between January 2001 and December 2007, during the tenure of forest range officers posted at Baikunthpur, fake thumb impressions and signatures of workers were affixed to documents submitted to the Koriya forest division office for departmental works.
During the investigation, it was found that Soni, who was then forest range officer at Chirimiri, along with then forest guard Rambhajur Singh (now deceased) and other employees, allegedly conspired to prepare fake muster rolls and payment documents in the names of workers by using forged thumb impressions and signatures. Based on these documents, fabricated payment records were prepared, resulting in the unauthorised withdrawal and misappropriation of government funds.
A case was registered on July 3, 2010, under Sections 120-B, 420, 409, 467, 468 and 471 of the Indian Penal Code and Sections 13(1)(c) read with 13(2) of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988.
Based on the evidence and facts gathered during the investigation, preparation of fake muster rolls was established against Soni. The prosecution charge sheet has consequently been filed before the Special Court (Prevention of Corruption Act), Baikunthpur, under the relevant provisions of the IPC and Prevention of Corruption Act.
