Shimla CBI Court Sentences Four to Two Years Imprisonment in SBI KCC Bank Fraud Case

SHIMLA, July 14, 2026 — A Special CBI Court in Shimla has sentenced four private individuals to two years of rigorous imprisonment in connection with three separate bank fraud cases. The convicts, identified as Bachitter Singh, Roshan Lal, Harkirat Singh, and Shammi, were also ordered to pay a combined total fine of Rs. 80,000. The final sentencing on July 14, 2026, follows their formal conviction by the court on July 6, 2026, marking a decisive end to a multi-year legal battle led by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).

The roots of the prosecution date back to February 22, 2013, when the CBI registered a case exposing a deep-rooted criminal conspiracy operating out of the State Bank of India (SBI) branch in Dehra, located in the Kangra district of Himachal Pradesh. The initial investigation targeted several high-ranking bank officials—including then-Branch Managers Raj Kumar Kainth and S.M. Paul, then-Field Officer Kuldip Singh Bhatoa, and then-PBD Manager Mohinder—alongside private accomplices. The accused had conspired to sanction and disburse Kisan Credit Card (KCC) loans based on fake and forged documentation. The borrowed funds were never repaid, resulting in significant financial losses and defrauding the public sector bank.

Following a exhaustive investigation, the CBI filed 20 separate chargesheets against the involved bank officers and private borrowers in the Court of the Special Judge, CBI, Shimla. Additionally, 19 separate chargesheets targeting only the private individuals involved in the scam were filed before the Court of the Special Magistrate-cum-CJM, Shimla, culminating in the successful conviction and sentencing of the four key accused.