PRAKASH V.T Vs. STATE OF KERALA

JUDGEMENT

(1.) This is an application for anticipatory bail filed under Section 438 Cr.P.C.

(2.) The petitioner is the accused in the case registered as Crime No.408/2021 of the Karuvarakundu Police Station under Sections 420 and 409 of the Indian Penal Code and also under Section 13(1)(a) of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 (for short 'the Act').

(3.) The prosecution case, in short, is as follows: The accused was employed as an Office Attendant in the Sub Treasury of Karuvarakundu. Smt.A.N.Saraswathy Amma is a pensioner. She was drawing the pension from the Sub Treasury, Karuvarakundu. On 20.01.2021, she went to the treasury to update the entries in the passbook issued to her in respect of the savings bank account in her name in the treasury. The details were furnished to her from the treasury on that day. On the next day, she went to the treasury and made a complaint to the Sub Treasury Officer that there was deficit of about three lakhs rupees in her account in the treasury. On verification of the records by the Sub Treasury Officer, it was revealed that a total amount of Rs.2,88,550/- had been transferred from the account of the pensioner to the savings bank accounts of the accused, through 27 online transactions. It was further revealed that, without the consent or knowledge of the pensioner, the accused had entered his mobile phone number in the KYC and updated it with that number and thereafter, without the consent or knowledge of the pensioner, he transferred the amount to his savings bank accounts by using the OTP number received in his mobile phone.