Mohali: In a major development in a nearly three-decade-old bank fraud case, a Special CBI Court in Mohali has issued an open-dated non-bailable warrant (NBW) against absconding accused Vijay Kumar Chadha, paving the way for the issuance of a Red Corner Notice (RCN) to facilitate his arrest from any location.The court passed the order after observing that the accused had been evading the judicial process for several years and that his presence could not be secured through ordinary legal procedures. The open-dated warrant is intended to strengthen efforts to trace and arrest him, including through international channels, if required.According to the CBI, the case was registered on Sept 10, 1996, by its anti-corruption branch in Chandigarh. Chadha, who was then posted as an officer at Canara Bank’s Batala branch, is accused of causing a wrongful loss of about Rs 3.18 crore to the bank between 1992 and 1996.The investigation revealed that Chadha allegedly withdrew substantial amounts from a bankers’ account maintained by the bank with the State Bank of India, Batala. Instead of depositing the money into Canara Bank’s accounts, he allegedly diverted the funds for personal use.The CBI further alleged that Chadha manipulated bank records by preparing forged vouchers and fabricated documents to conceal the misappropriation of funds. Following the investigation, the agency filed a chargesheet on Nov 26, 1998, against him under Sections 409 (criminal breach of trust by a public servant or banker) and 477-A (falsification of accounts) of the Indian Penal Code, along with relevant provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988.Despite repeated summons, bailable warrants and non-bailable warrants issued during the trial, Chadha failed to appear before the court. Consequently, the then Special CBI Court at Patiala declared him a proclaimed offender on Jan 27, 1999.In its latest order, the Special Judge (CBI-I), Punjab, Mohali, noted that the accused has remained absconding for over two decades and that stringent legal measures were necessary to secure his arrest. The court, therefore, directed the issuance of an open-dated non-bailable warrant, which will also support the process of obtaining a Red Corner Notice through the appropriate authorities, enabling law enforcement agencies to arrest the accused wherever he is traced.
