Delhi Court Grants Anticipatory Bail in Forgery Case Involving Minister Anurag Thakur’s Alleged Signature
A Delhi court has granted anticipatory bail to a man accused of forging the signature of Union Minister Anurag Thakur in connection with an alleged attempt to secure a Rs. 10 crore bank loan.
The court, while acknowledging the seriousness of the allegations, was persuaded by the defence’s contention that the dispute arose from private financial dealings and did not warrant custodial interrogation.
According to the prosecution, the accused allegedly affixed a forged signature of the minister on an official-looking letterhead addressed to a nationalised bank, purportedly to facilitate the sanction of a large loan.
An FIR was registered under Sections 420 (cheating), 468 (forgery for the purpose of cheating), 471 (using a forged document as genuine), and 120B (criminal conspiracy) of the Indian Penal Code. The prosecution argued that the offence involved impersonation of a public figure and a significant amount of money, justifying custodial interrogation.
Opposing the plea, the prosecution maintained that the gravity of the allegations required thorough investigation. However, the accused, through his counsel, submitted that the matter stemmed from a personal loan dispute between him and the complainant, who allegedly had prior financial dealings with him.
It was argued that the criminal case had been initiated to pressurise the accused into repayment. The defence also pointed out that the accused had been cooperating with the investigation, posed no flight risk, and that the documents in question were already in the possession of the investigating agency.
After considering the submissions, the court held that custodial interrogation was not necessary at this stage. Granting anticipatory bail, the court directed the accused to cooperate fully with the investigation and not to leave the country without prior permission. The matter remains under investigation, and no finding has been made on the authenticity of the alleged forged documents.