6 weeks on, Jalandhar priest’s firm yet to receive ₹4.57 crore

Father Anthony had accused the Khanna police of misappropriating ₹6.6 crore after a raid at his house THE SIT PROBING THE CASE HAD FOUND THAT ₹14.5 CRORE WAS RECOVERED FROM THE PRIEST’S HOUSE LAST YEAR

JALANDHAR: Even six weeks after the Mohali additional district and sessions court orders, the state crime wing of Punjab Police is yet to release around ₹4.57 crore to Jalandhar-based Father Anthony Madassary’s firm Sahodhya.

Last year, Father Anthony had accused the Khanna police of misappropriating ₹6.6 crore after a raid at his house in Partapura on March 29 and filed an application in the district and sessions court, Mohali, to get the money back.

The priest had claimed that police had recovered ₹ 16.65 crore from his house but showed only ₹ 9.66 crore on paper, while misappropriating the remaining amount.

A special investigation team ( SIT) of the state crime unit probing the case had found that ₹14.5 crore was recovered from the priest’s house. The SIT had recovered around ₹ 4.5 crore after the arrest of some accused including two assistant sub-inspectors (ASIS) - Rajpreet Singh and Joginder Singh.

A total ₹ 4.57 crore was recovered from the arrested accused. Other accused are yet to be arrested and the remaining amount is also still to be recovered.“a separate financial SIT was constituted, which has been investigating the matter as to how much amount was lying in the FMJ house at the time of the occurrence, and the SIT’S report is still awaited. Due to this, the currency notes may not be released to the applicant,” the state responded to court. On September 11, Mohali additional district and sessions judge, while allowing the application of Sahodhya, had ordered that the prosecution will prepare a detailed inventory of the currency notes after taking proper and legible photographs of the notes as per the recovery memos of different accused. It added that Sahodhya will give undertaking to the prosecution that it will refund the amount to the court if in future it is proved that they are not owner of the amount.

“Sahodhya will furnish the bank guarantee equivalent to the disputed amount, with the investigating officer ( IO). The IO will deposit the amount in the account of Sahodhya in shape of an FDR with directions to the bank to not release the said amount to the applicant till furnishing of an NOC from the income tax department pertaining to the amount,” the court order read.

Father Anthony confirmed the development over phone and said that it has been nearly one- and- a- half month but police have not deposited the amount. On furnishing the bank guarantee equivalent to the amount, he said that is to be done after police deposit the money.

“My advocate has contacted the police, but the matter is still pending,” he added.

Assistant inspector general of police, state crime unit, Manmohan Sharma, didn’t respond to calls and messages but a senior official from the state crime wing, on condition of anonymity, said that the process might be delayed as the money is lying with different police districts. “It will be released to the firm as per the court orders,” the official added.