The High Court has quashed and set aside the conviction of Rajesh Naik, a former Upper Division Clerk at the Mapusa Excise Station, who had been found guilty by a trial court in a cheating case dating back to the late 1990s.
Naik was accused of accepting money from a complainant between July 1997 and July 1999 under the pretext of renewing an excise licence. However, instead of processing the renewal through official channels, he allegedly handed over a forged licence.
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The trial court had convicted Naik based on these allegations, but the High Court, after reviewing the evidence, ruled that the conviction could not be sustained. The court held that the prosecution failed to establish the charges beyond reasonable doubt, leading to Naik’s acquittal.
With this order, the High Court has effectively cleared Naik of all charges related to the alleged cheating and forgery case.
