Team Goemkarponn
PANAJI: A Goa court has granted permission to the Economic Offences Cell (EOC) to obtain handwriting and signature samples from an accused in the multi-crore Ashtagandha Urban Credit Co-operative Society fraud case.
The order was issued by the North Goa District and Sessions Court after investigators sought approval to collect specimen writings for forensic comparison during the course of the investigation.
According to investigators, several documents recovered during the probe contain handwritten entries and signatures that are believed to be connected to the accused. The samples collected will be sent for scientific examination to help verify the authenticity of records and establish possible links with the alleged financial irregularities.
The case relates to the alleged Rs 11.28 crore scam involving the Pirna-based co-operative society, where former office-bearers and others are suspected of sanctioning fraudulent loans and carrying out illegal financial transactions through forged paperwork.
The complaint was filed by the committee currently managing the co-operative society after suspected discrepancies surfaced during scrutiny of accounts and loan records. Following the complaint, police registered offences including cheating, forgery, criminal breach of trust and conspiracy, along with charges under provisions meant to protect depositors’ interests.
Police recently arrested one of the accused in connection with the case and said the investigation is continuing to identify the role of other persons linked to the alleged scam.
