CHENNAI: Perhaps it was the longest trial that a cheating case has ever seen. It began in 1984 when the CBI found that a set of five persons have taken loans up to `56 lakh from nine nationalised banks for buying second hand lorries that are non-existent. It began the most sensation case, often referred as “Robin Mein Case” in 1980s. Nearly 32 years later, on Friday, a CBI special court brought curtains down when it convicted all the five borrowers on various charges, including cheating and acquitted 11 other persons, who were accused of abiding the fraud.
Of the 32 persons the CBI included as accused in the case, half of them — 16 — died as the trial got prolonged in the XI Additional CBI Special Court. The accused who could not live long enough to face the law includes former State assembly speaker K Kalimuthu, who died in 2006.
“The case begin when CBI filed an FIR in 1984 claiming that five persons were taking loans by forging RC books of second hand lorries. The case was delayed right from the beginning. CBI filed the charge sheet only in 1987,” said I Saravanan, defense counsel in the case.
The prosecution’s claim was the five accused obtained loans up to `55 lakh from nine different nationalised banks by submitting forged RC books of lorries that are nonexistent. Along with the five borrowers, Kalimuthu, then the State agriculture minister, and several transport department officials were included as accused. While Kalimuthu was accused of misusing his authority, the transport officials were accused of aiding the accused in forging the documents.
As a reprieve to Kalimuthu in the case, in 2001 the trial court discharged him from the case citing the delay on part of the prosecution. But subsequently, the CBI challenged the verdict and the Madras High Court struck down the trial court order. The Supreme Court also upheld the High Court’s order making Kalimuthu to face the trial.
Kalimuthu died in 2006 which brought to an end for the court to judge his culpability in the case that was most sensational in 1980s.
However, 11 of the accused were acquitted by the courts on Friday. But the judge K Venkatasamy, while sentencing Robin Mein, prime accused in the case, who is now in 71 years old, did not show any leniency on account of his age. He was sentenced for seven years of rigorous imprisonment and a hefty fine of `1.08 crore. Other four accused – Suryakumar, Shahul Hameed, Basinben and Somasundaram – were granted lesser jail term.