Ahmedabad, Dec 31 (PTI) More than 22 years after a nationalised bank in Ahmedabad was defrauded of Rs 38.75 lakh, a special CBI court on Tuesday sentenced its former branch manager and 18 others to rigorous imprisonment ranging from three to five years.

The court also imposed a collective fine of Rs 15.35 lakh on the convicted persons.

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The court sentenced Becharbhai Zala, the then branch manager of the State Bank of Saurashtra's Naroda Road branch in Ahmedabad, and 18 others in a case dated July 18, 2002.

As per the prosecution, Zala conspired with others to cheat the bank in a public housing scheme by misusing his official position.

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The CBI stated in a release that Zala had obtained a pecuniary advantage of Rs 38.75 lakh for himself and others by causing the loss to the bank where he was employed.

Altogether, 12 separate charge sheets were filed on various dates, the CBI stated, adding that the court pronounced a judgment in five cases on Tuesday.

The CBI, however, didn't mention the quantum of sentence of Zala.

The accused persons were tried on charges of criminal conspiracy, criminal breach of trust, cheating, forgery of valuable security, forgery for the purpose of cheating, using forged documents as genuine and criminal misconduct by the public servant, the federal investigation agency stated.

More than 60 prosecution witnesses were examined during the trial. The prosecution relied on more than 142 documents/ exhibits against the accused persons, it said.

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