Chandigarh, June 5: A Special CBI Court in Mohali, Punjab, has convicted and sentenced Samir Dua, a partner of M/s G.D. Ispat Udyog, Mandi Gobindgarh, to three years of rigorous imprisonment (RI) along with a fine of Rs 15,000 in connection with a multi-crore bank fraud case, an official statement said on Friday.

The sentence was pronounced on June 4, following the conclusion of trial proceedings in the case investigated by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).

According to the CBI, the case was registered against Dalip Dua and Samir Dua, partners of M/s G.D. Ispat Udyog, along with other accused, for allegedly entering into a criminal conspiracy to defraud Indian Overseas Bank’s Mandi Gobindgarh branch in Punjab.

The investigation revealed that the accused had fraudulently secured a cash credit limit of Rs 4 crore from the bank by submitting false and fabricated information and documents.

The loan facility was allegedly obtained through misrepresentation, causing a wrongful loss to the bank and corresponding unlawful gain to the accused, the agency said.

Following a detailed investigation, the CBI filed a charge sheet against the accused persons before the competent court. During the trial, the prosecution presented evidence establishing the fraudulent nature of the transactions and the conspiracy behind obtaining the credit facility.

After examining the evidence and hearing the arguments, the Special CBI Court found Samir Dua guilty and sentenced him to three years of rigorous imprisonment. The court also imposed a monetary penalty of Rs 15,000.

Proceedings against co-accused Dalip Dua were abated due to his death during the pendency of the case.

The conviction marks the culmination of the CBI’s investigation into the bank fraud, underscoring the agency’s efforts to prosecute financial crimes and hold those responsible for defrauding public sector banks accountable.

Mumbai: The Bombay High Court has granted pre-arrest bail to a Tamil Nadu-based scrap trader accused of cheating a Pune sugar factory of nearly Rs 3 crore by allegedly tampering with weighing machines used to measure scrap material.

Justice Farhan Dubash, on Wednesday, granted pre-arrest protection to Surya Prakash, proprietor of Winmin Metals, while hearing his anticipatory bail plea in connection with an FIR registered at Daund Police Station.

According to the prosecution, Daund Sugar Pvt. Ltd. had awarded scrap disposal contracts to Winmin Metals. The company allegedly lifted scrap material from the factory between April and December 2025. Later, the factory suspected that the weighing scales had been manipulated, causing substantial financial losses.

The FIR alleges that electronic chips were secretly installed in weighing machines and operated through a remote device. This allegedly resulted in lower weights being displayed, enabling the accused to pay less than the actual value of the scrap material lifted from the factory.

The complainant claimed that the alleged fraud came to light after receiving information from another sugar mill in Satara, where a similar case had been registered against the applicant.

Opposing the bail plea, the prosecution argued that three separate complaints involving a similar modus operandi had been filed against the applicant in Satara, Osmanabad and Pune districts. The State contended that custodial interrogation was necessary to investigate the alleged conspiracy and recover evidence.

However, the defence argued that the allegations were based largely on information received from a third party and that no direct proof had been produced. It also pointed out that the applicant had already received interim protection in two similar cases and had cooperated with investigators.

While granting relief, the HC observed that the transactions were commercial in nature and that Winmin Metals had paid over Rs 1.22 crore to the factory under the contract. The court noted that no specific material had been placed on record to show why custodial interrogation was indispensable.

“Custodial interrogation of the Applicant is not warranted at this stage,” Justice Dubash said.

The court directed the applicant to cooperate with the investigation, appear before police as required, and refrain from influencing witnesses or tampering with evidence.

Mumbai: A 43-year-old chief officer aboard an oil vessel died after collapsing inside an oil tank during a cleaning operation at sea, police said.

The deceased, Harsha Gopalan Rajan, a resident of Chennai, was working as the Chief Officer on the oil vessel Jag Aba. According to the Yellow Gate Police, the incident occurred on June 1 around 9.30am while the vessel was operating at sea.

Rajan had entered an oil tank in the vessel’s slop port area to supervise cleaning work when he reportedly felt dizzy and collapsed. Crew members immediately launched a rescue operation and pulled him out of the tank.

He was given first aid at the vessel’s onboard medical facility, but did not respond. The crew consulted company doctors through satellite communication, who informed them that Rajan showed no response and had no vital signs.

As the vessel was nearing Mumbai Port, the crew alerted the Yellow Gate Police. The vessel reached Bhaucha Dhakka on June 3, following which Rajan was taken to Sir J.J. Hospital, where doctors declared him dead.

The police have registered an accidental death report (ADR) under Section 194 of the BNSS. No injuries or suspicious circumstances were found, and family members stated they had no suspicion regarding the death. Further investigation is underway.