Time limit for Criminal case
Querist :
Anonymous
(Querist) 26 March 2011
This query is : Resolved
While working in the Bank supposedly forged Export bills were submitted to Bank by a party & handled by me on occasions apart from others in centralized Foreign Exchange dept. Case was filed in the year 1992 by CBI in Special Court Mumbai accusing all the 6 Officers who at one time or the other handled the documents (& the part). The alleged forged documents have been taken back by the party from the departmental head at that time who was the only person against whom the Bank took action & removed ( he died before filing of the case in the court).
After several dates spanning 16 years & transfer to different courts & Judges, framing of charges was done on 24.04.2008. The CBI could not trace the papers & the papers deposited with the Court are also being searched. During the 3 years after framing of the charges only one witness has appeared & his disposition (the Sanctioning authority) on 9th February, 2011 is as follows:
I thoroughly went thro’ the report, i.e the sanction order & based on the contents I signed the same. I did not see the papers related to the case & I do not remember whether any other papers were put up to me.
During cross examination:
1. I did not dictate the contents of the sanction order.
2. I do not know who has prepared it.
3. I cannot confirm whether the order was signed by me on the date mentioned in the order as many papers come to me as I was the General Manager & it takes time to attend them. Normally it is kept & signed at a later date.
4. I have not verified whether the bills mentioned in the order are all pending for realization or some of them are realized.
None of the other witnesses are appearing in Court & when one other witness appeared the documents could not be produced. The matter is being prolonged unnecessarily. Is there any statutory time limit for disposal of the case & if so what? If anything can be done at this stage to end the trial by us? Please guide me as I am now retired (as so with all the others) & want early conclusion.
