The Allahabad high court has rejected two bail applications of an accountant accused of allegedly embezzling over ₹ 4 crore in donations to a Varanasi-based religious institution by forging bank deposit receipts and siphoning off public offerings.
An FIR was registered at Chaubepur police station in Varanasi district under sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) relating to cheating (Section 420), forgery and criminal conspiracy (Section 120-B). Kumar was arrested in October 2025.
In its October 14 order, Justice Krishan Pahal rejected the pleas, citing the nature and gravity of the allegations. It submitted that he had worked with the institution for around 12 years and had no criminal antecedents. The defence also claimed that the case was a counterblast to a complaint by his brother alleging the abduction of his wife and their 1.5-year-old child by influential officials of the institution.
The court directed the trial court to decide the case expeditiously, in accordance with the law, if there was no legal impediment. During the hearing, the defence argued that Kumar had been falsely implicated and had no connection with the alleged offences. The court clarified that its observations were limited to the disposal of the bail applications and would not affect the merits of the case at trial.
