Coimbatore (Tamil Nadu): In a startling verdict, a former official of the erstwhile Cheran Transport Corporation (CTC), now known as the Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation (TNSTC), has been given sentence of 383 years in prison and slapped with a fine of Rs 3.32 crore for his involvement in misappropriating funds during the auction of condemned buses. However, despite the overwhelming cumulative sentence, the accused will ultimately serve a total of only seven years behind bars, as the sentences will run concurrently.
The accused was convicted on multiple charges, leading to the staggering cumulative sentence. He received 188 years of imprisonment, with each year representing one of the 47 offenses under the section of fraud of trust. Additionally, he was given another 188 years for 47 offenses of forgery. Finally, the accused was sentenced to seven years for embezzlement of government property. The combined effect of these lengthy prison terms resulted in a total of 383 years. Despite the magnitude of the sentence, the concurrent running of these terms means that the individual will ultimately serve only seven years in jail.
The case dates back to November 9, 1998, when Rangaswamy, the General Manager of Cheran Transport Corporation, filed a complaint to the Crime Branch Police regarding the misappropriation of funds. According to the complaint, the eight accused prepared fake documents and caused a loss of around Rs 28 lakhs in the auction of condemned buses of Cheran Transport Corporation. The accused gave off 14 buses to people who had won in the auction without receiving the full payment and 44 buses by receiving partial payment.
After investigation, the Coimbatore police arrested eight workers namely Kothandapani (82) who was an assistant in Cheran Transport Corporation, Deputy Manager Ramachandran, Nagarajan, Natarajan, Muruganathan, Duraisamy, Ranganathan and Rajendran. The case related to this was being held in the Coimbatore First Additional Subordinate Court.
The complaint mentioned that the eight accused prepared fake documents and caused a loss of around 28 lakhs in the auction of condemned buses of Cheran Transport Corporation. According to the FIR, the accused gave off 14 buses to people who had won in the auction without receiving the full payment and 44 buses by receiving partial payment.
While Ramachandran, Natarajan, Ranganathan, and Rajendran died during the investigation, the remaining four were being investigated. Subsequently, the verdict was delivered in this case on Friday. In the judgment given by Judge Sivakumar, three other people except Kothandapani were released.
The First Additional Subordinate Court judge, Coimbatore, ordered that he should undergo an additional 1-year imprisonment in case of failure to pay the fine. The news of this landmark 383-year imprisonment in a fraud case has stirred considerable excitement in Coimbatore, drawing attention to the importance of upholding accountability and integrity in financial matters.
