Fraud Case in Raipur has raised fresh concerns over employee verification and internal cash handling after a driver allegedly fled with Rs 50 lakh in cash and a vehicle belonging to a city-based construction businessman in the state capital.

Cash Vanishes Midway

A major Fraud Case has surfaced in Raipur after a driver allegedly decamped with Rs 50 lakh in cash and a car entrusted to him by his employer. The incident took place in the Khamhardih police station area, where the accused reportedly used deception to escape with the money in broad daylight.

Police said the accused, identified as Krishna Sahu, had been working as a driver for a city-based businessman for nearly a year. During this period, he had gained the trust of the employer before allegedly carrying out the theft.

Businessman Files Complaint

According to officials, the complainant is Umesh Prasad, a construction businessman residing in Geetanjali Nagar in Raipur. He had reportedly handed over Rs 50 lakh in cash to his accountant and driver, asking them to transport the amount safely to his residence.

The cash was placed inside a car bearing registration number CG 04 QG 663. The accountant and driver then left for Geetanjali Nagar as instructed. What appeared to be a routine movement of funds soon turned into a major criminal case.

Escape Near Police Station

As per the complaint, the incident unfolded near a paan kiosk located a short distance from Khamhardih police station. Police sources indicated that the accused driver asked the accountant to step out of the vehicle and buy gutkha from the nearby stall.

The moment the accountant got out, the driver allegedly started the vehicle and sped away with both the cash and the car. The accountant was caught off guard and could not react in time. He immediately informed the businessman about the incident.

Driver Under Scanner

The accused has been identified as Krishna Sahu, a resident of Bhatagaon. Investigators said he had been employed by the businessman for the past year and had earned the confidence of the family through regular service.

Officials suspect the accused may have planned the act in advance, given the speed and precision with which he executed the escape. His mobile phone has remained switched off since the incident, making immediate tracking difficult.

Police Begin Probe

Following the complaint, a case was registered at Khamhardih police station through the businessman’s relative, Akhilesh Prasad. Police have booked the accused under sections related to criminal breach of trust and cheating.

Station House Officer Mansi Nanabhai Sakure said police teams were actively searching for the accused and efforts were underway to trace both the vehicle and the missing cash. According to officials, multiple teams have been deployed for field verification.

CCTV Footage Examined

Police have started scanning CCTV footage from roads and intersections across Raipur to reconstruct the accused’s movement after the escape. Surveillance footage from the area near the paan kiosk is also being examined to establish the exact sequence of events.

Investigators are expected to review toll routes, fuel stations and city exit points as part of the search operation. Sources indicated that digital and physical surveillance inputs are being used to narrow down the accused’s likely route.

The Chhattisgarh High Court has upheld the acquittal of a man accused of rape and cheating, ruling that no offence of deception is made out when a woman knowingly enters into a relationship with a married man. In a significant ruling, the court observed that if a woman is aware that her partner is already married, she cannot later allege that physical relations were established on the false promise of marriage.

Justice Sanjay S. Agrawal passed the order while dismissing the woman’s appeal against a lower court judgment that had acquitted the accused, Mahesh Ganjir. The Chhattisgarh High Court said the essential element of fraud was absent in the case, as the complainant was fully aware of the man’s marital status.

What The Case Was

The case arose from a complaint filed by a woman from Dongargarh in Chhattisgarh, who claimed that she had married Mahesh Ganjir on May 8, 2008. She told the court that a written marriage agreement was also executed on January 21, 2009, and that the two lived together as husband and wife after that.

The woman alleged that the accused had physical relations with her during the course of the relationship and later expelled her from his house after she refused to give him more money. She also claimed to have spent Rs 85,000 on travel and related expenses during their time together.

Based on these claims, she accused Ganjir of rape and cheating and challenged the trial court’s acquittal before the High Court.

Contradictions In Record

The Chhattisgarh High Court noted several contradictions in the woman’s claims and found material inconsistencies in her earlier statements. According to court records, her earlier legal notices and police complaint did not mention a fixed marriage date. Instead, they stated that the accused had physical relations with her between May and September 2008 on the assurance of marriage.

The court also relied on another notice issued by the complainant, which indicated that she was fully aware that Mahesh Ganjir was already married. Records showed that she even knew the name of his first wife.

This, the court said, weakened her claim that she had been deceived into believing she was entering a legally valid marriage.

Court’s Legal Reasoning

While examining the matter, the Chhattisgarh High Court referred to Section 493 of the Indian Penal Code, which deals with cohabitation caused by a man deceitfully inducing a belief of lawful marriage.

The court said the core requirement under the provision is deception. It held that where both parties are aware that no valid legal marriage exists, the question of fraud does not arise.

Justice Agrawal noted that the accused’s first wife was alive at the time of the alleged marriage, making any subsequent marriage legally void under Sections 5 and 11 of the Hindu Marriage Act. Since the complainant knew this fact, the court held that she could not later claim she had been misled into believing she was the accused’s legally wedded wife.

Woman Argued Case

The woman argued her own case before the High Court after challenging the trial court verdict. After hearing her submissions and reviewing the trial record, the court found no legal ground to interfere with the acquittal.

The High Court then dismissed the appeal and affirmed the lower court’s order in favour of the accused.

Legal Significance Explained

The ruling is significant in cases involving allegations of rape on the promise of marriage, especially where prior knowledge of an existing marriage is established. Legal experts say the judgment reinforces the principle that consent obtained in a relationship cannot automatically be treated as consent obtained by fraud unless clear deception is proved.

The Chhattisgarh High Court ruling is likely to be cited in similar cases involving disputes over consent, marital status and allegations of inducement, according to officials tracking recent India News Update and Government Updates in criminal law.