nA magisterial probe into a loan default case in Bastar district on Wednesday prima facie found that two farmers who were jailed on charges of being defaulters are innocent and that they are victims of ‘forgery’.
Bastar Collector Dr Ayyaz Tamboli ordered the magisterial inquiry following reports of two farmers’ from the district being sent to jail for non-payment of loan. The two farmers are identified as Maadpal resident Tularam Maurya and Bastar resident Sukhdas.
SDM J. R. Markam is conducting the probe. According to preliminary findings some ‘imposters’ impersonating as Tularam Maurya and Sukhdas took the loan ostensibly with the connivance of bank officials.
Sources said after the completion of probe, those responsible for the forgery would be booked. Meanwhile, the district administration is extending free legal assistance for the release of two farmers on bail.
As per reports, the State Bank of India’s agriculture development branch had filed a case under section 138 of the Negotiable Instrumentation Act 1881 against the Tularam Maurya and Sukhdas after the cheque bounced.
The court of Judicial Magistrate First Class (JMFC) after hearing the case sent both to jail under judicial remand.
As per the case details, it was claimed that Tularam Maurya took a loan of Rs 3 lakh-- Rs 2.30 lakh for drip irrigation and Rs 60,000 for fencing-- from the bank using Kisan Credit Card on November 16, 2009.
There was also a similar case against Sukhdas.
The preliminary investigation, however, found that it was a pure case of forgery and that the two farmers had nothing to do with the loans.
District administration is now providing legal assistance to the two farmers so that they can secure early bail. The probe will now concentrate on the role of bank, touts and others in the forgery case.