Kalimuthu and his men exposed in Robin Mayne case

Chennai: A special court for Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) cases here on Friday convicted and sentenced five persons to various terms of imprisonment and slapped a total fine of Rs. 1.65 crore, over three decades after the Robin Mayne scandal came to light. .

Robin Mayne claimed to be a close associate of former AIADMK Agriculture Minister Kalimuthu. He and his accomplices had conspired to cheat nationalised banks by securing vehicle loans after producing fictitious persons and fake documents.

The accused had cheated eight banks to the tune of Rs. 56 lakh in 1983.

In his judgment XI Additional Special Judge for CBI cases K. Venkatasamy said the offences constituted a mega scam and added the accused were not ordinary people.

He said the former Minister, K Kalimuthu, (since dead) had aided and abetted the crime by placing resources of his department at the disposal of the accused persons.

“Those entrusted with the task of apprehending thieves had themselves conspired to cheat banks and steal public money,” the judge said in his order.

The prosecution made out the case that Robin Mayne had approached the Chennai branches of eight banks in 1983 and offered to invest funds of the State Agriculture Department as fixed deposits. He would travel in cars with State emblem, national flag and beacon light.
After arranging fixed deposits from the Tamil Nadu Agricultural Marketing Board, he would use the then Minister’s name to persuade bank managers to lend vehicle loans to some people who, he claimed, were awarded contracts and needed to buy cars, motorcycles and lorries.
Since the fixed deposits were made, the bank officials, some of whom claimed that the then Minister himself spoke to them, sanctioned the loans.

Robin Mayne and his associates furnished fake documents of vehicles as if they were registered in other States and obtained loans to purchase used vehicles in the names of fictitious persons. Neither the vehicles nor the applicants actually existed. They even managed to open bank accounts in those fictitious names. Some Motor Vehicle Inspectors connived with the suspects.

Soon after withdrawing the loan amount, Robin Mayne closed the fixed deposits in all the banks.

As the equated monthly instalments were not paid, the bank official conducted an enquiry and found that that the accused had cheated them. They lodged individual complaints based on which the case was registered by the CBI.

Venkatasamy said the punishment should just not be customary but instead compensate the loss of public money incurred by the nationalised banks.

Eleven accused were acquitted as the prosecution could not prove the charges against them beyond reasonable doubt. A few others accused in the case either retired from service or passed away during the course of trial that lasted over 30 years.
Robin Mayne was convicted and sentenced to seven years Rigorous Imprisonment and imposed a fine of Rs. 1.08 crore.
R.D Surya Kumar was sentenced to four years in prison with a fine of Rs. 29.5 lakh. Three others Sahul Hameed, Fazil Sam and Somasundaram were sentenced to various terms of imprisonment and slapped with penalty.

Though the accused were found guilty on various counts, the judge, considering their age and health condition, said that the sentences would run concurrently.