Chief Judicial Magistrate, Imphal West on Friday directed the investigating officer to submit a fresh report by December 15 with details on why and whose authority the 36 bank accounts of Salai Holdings were frozen.
The Manipur Police on November 26 and 27 froze as many as 36 bank accounts of different Salai companies under the Salai Holdings Private Limited in Imphal. In connection with the case, the investigating officer, the additional SP (Law and order) Imphal West district submitted a report before the Chief Judicial Magistrate (CJM), Imphal West.
The court on examining the materials, found that the complaint was filed against the SMART private bank located at Uripok Khumanthem Leikai. The order mentioned that however, there was no mention of Salai private bank in the list of accounts frozen by the investigating officer. The names of the bank of which the accounts have been frozen have nothing to do with the bank against which the complainant raised grievances, it stated. It is beyond the undertaking of the court as to how and why the 36 bank accounts were frozen by the investigation officer of the case, the court order mentioned.
It also stated that the court has been informed that the Special Judge (NIA), Manipur has already passed an order for unfreezing all accounts of Salai Holdings Private Limited. The court also found that the report failed to mention on whose authority the accounts of Salai Holdings Private Limited were frozen.
The court further questioned whether the investigating officer had the authority to seize the accounts.
The additional SP earlier informed the CJM that the accounts were frozen in connection with a case registered against Salai Holdings Private Limited at Imphal police station following a complaint lodged on March 3 by one Chingtham Tomcha, 79, son of Ch Manao of Thangmeiband Hijam Dewan Leikai, who is an investor.
In his complaint, Tomcha stated that in December 2015, he deposited Rs 40,000 to the private bank located at Uripok Khumanthem Leikai at the rate of 2.8 interests per month. As he never withdrew the due interest from the bank, the bank officials converted the interest into capital.
The capital amount at the bank in April 2019 was Rs 1, 40,986, as per the complainant. When he visited the bank for withdrawal of some money, the account was found closed, the complainant stated.
