New Delhi:
A non-bailable warrant (NBW) has been issued by a Delhi court against a former chief manager of a public sector bank and an accused in a 15-year-old case of cheating and forgery after the CBI told court that he could not be traced.
Special CBI Judge Anu Malhotra issued NBW against SS Wadhwa, former Chief Manager of Oriental Bank of Commerce, who had allegedly conspired with one NK Arora to provide him wrongful gains and causing loss to the bank during his stint with the bank's Saket branch here in 1993-96.
Wadhwa, along with Arora and eight others, was named as accused in the case registered by the CBI in 1997 and was out on bail.
The NBW was issued against him after he stopped appearing before the court when the matter was fixed for prosecution evidence.
Wadhwa attended court proceedings on February 22 this year, when the case had been adjourned for February 29 for leading prosecution evidence. Wadhwa, however, did not attend the court on February 29 and a bailable warrant was issued against him.
The CBI and Wadhwa's surety Kulbir Singh Chawla were directed to ensure his presence in the court on March 14.
The CBI, however, told the judge on March 14 that Wadhwa does not reside at the address mentioned in the court record, following which NBW was issued against him.
On April 24, the investigating officer told the court the NBW could not be served as Wadhwa's whereabouts are not known.
The agency said Wadhwa used to reside in Sarita Vihar in Delhi with his son, but about two months ago, he left the house following a quarrel with him.
On repeated failure to trace him, the court again issued NBWs in July and August with a fresh direction to CBI Superintendent of Police to trace him after ascertaining his whereabouts from his son.
The court, however, noted the process report received from the CBI does not indicate any effort having been made by the probe agency and issued NBW returnable by August 31 with direction to Wadhwa's surety to be present in court.
On August 31, the NBW was yet again returned unserved and the court was told that Wadhwa's son had no information about his whereabouts and sources deployed in other states also could not locate him.
The CBI and Wadhwa's surety tried to trace Wadhwa through his elder son and wife but Wadhwa remained untraceable till the last date of hearing on September 26.
The matter is now fixed for prosecution evidence on November 5 when the surety has been directed to be present in the court.
The CBI's case is that Wadhwa had sanctioned various credit facilities to Arora and his concerns in transgression of his discretionary powers without following proper procedure, realistic assessment of credit needs or borrowers and end use of funds and without obtaining proper security, causing loss to the bank.
Bani Arora, NK Arora's wife, who was director of Muradabad Builder, M/s Growgold Exim & Leasing Limited and also the proprietor of M/s Corporate Growth Management Services was also an accused in the case.