Sleuths of the Crime Branch CID from Karur seized some documents after conducting a search at the office of the Regional Transport Officer (RTO), Srirangam here on Monday in connection with a cheating and forgery case involving the sale of a tractor in Thuraiyur taluk.
The CB CID team headed by Inspector M. Velmurugan obtained a search warrant from the Judicial Magistrate Court in Thuraiyur to carry out the search at the Srirangam RTO office after a written requisition seeking documents from that office as material evidence for their investigation did not evoke proper response.
The case which was initially probed by the Thuraiyur Police was transferred to the CB CID last year following a direction from the Madurai Bench of Madras High Court.
Giving details of the case, police sources said the complainant N. Venkatachalam of Kotathur village in Thuraiyur taluk purchased a tractor a few years ago with loans raised from a private finance firm and from N. Kumar of the same village, who is said to have lent Rs. 75,000.
After repaying loan dues for three years, Venkatachalam reportedly asked Kumar who had asked for his money to keep the vehicle with him and repay the balance due to be paid to the company over one year. Sources said Kumar paid the balance amount at one go and reportedly obtained a no-objection certificate from the firm based on a letter purportedly written by Venkatachalam.
Kumar reportedly got the name transfer and tax clearance certificates from the Srirangam RTO office.
He subsequently got the registration certificate changed and reportedly sold the tractor to another person. The Thuraiyur Police registered a case on a complaint from Venkatachalam.
Not satisfied with the investigation, Venkatachalam prayed the Madurai Bench of the High Court seeking a CB CID probe. The sources said the investigating agency sleuths seized tax clearance certificate, ‘B' register and data regarding hypothecation during their three hour search at the Srirangam RTO office.
The seized documents were produced before the Judicial Magistrate Court in Thuraiyur.
The sources said Kumar and Gurumurthy, the branch manager of the private finance firm have been cited as accused in the case that was registered under various sections including Section 468 (forgery the purpose of cheating), Section 420 (cheating) and Section 406 (criminal breach of trust).
