Aug. 29: A CBI court today convicted three persons for siphoning off the money of Unit Trust of India (UTI) depositors.

Standardised Agency System agent Bajra Kanta Kalita and postal assistants Paresh Deka and Indrani Bhattacharjee, were convicted by CBI special judge, Assam, Ikramul Hussain, today in two separate cases.

According to the prosecution, the accused persons caught hold of 23 cheques worth Rs 3,78,209 dispatched by UTI to depositors towards their maturity/repurchase value and dividend.

They then opened savings bank accounts in fictitious names, deposited the cheques and subsequently withdrew the money. The scam took place in 1996.

Kalita and Deka — a postal assistant of Paltan Bazar sub-post office — were convicted under special case number 36/2004.

Kalita and Bhattacherjee — a postal assistant of Ulubari sub-post office — were convicted under special case number 37/2004.

In the first case, Kalita and Deka were sentenced to rigorous imprisonment for three years and fined Rs 10,000, under Section 120 B (criminal conspiracy) and 420 (cheating) of IPC.

The court also said the duo would have to suffer imprisonment for an additional month, if they failed to pay the fine.

They were also convicted under Sections 468 (forgery for purpose of cheating), 471 (use of forged document or electronic record as genuine) and 465 (punishment for forgery) IPC.

Under Section 468, they will have to undergo rigorous imprisonment for three years and pay a fine of Rs 10,000.

Similarly, under Section 471 and 465, they will have to undergo imprisonment for one year.

In the same case, Deka was also convicted under Section 13(2) and 13(1) (d) of the Prevention of Corruption Act and sentenced to three years rigorous imprisonment and a fine of Rs 50,000.

He would also be jailed for an additional six months, if he failed to pay the fine.

In special case number 37/2004, Kalita and Bhattacharjee were convicted under Section 120B (criminal conspiracy) and 420 (cheating) of IPC and sentenced to rigorous imprisonment for three years and pay a fine of Rs 10,000. They would be jailed for an additional month, if they failed to pay the fine.

They were also convicted under Section 468 IPC and sentenced to rigorous imprisonment for three years and a fine of Rs 10,000 with an additional month in jail, if they fail to pay the fine.

The duo were also convicted under Sections 471 and 465 IPC and sentenced to one-year rigorous imprisonment.

All these sentences will run concurrently, the judge said in his order.