Summary: Ameet Savant challenged the splitting of charges in a financial fraud case. The court decided that all related charges should be combined into one trial.
Ameet Savant, along with others, was accused of financial crimes involving depositors' money. It all started with a police report back in August 2019, where six depositors complained about being cheated. The case was registered as Crime No.9/2019 by the Economic Offences Cell in Goa.
"The entire transaction in this petition relates back to a police report dated 21.08.2019 registered at the behest of a complaint made by six depositors."
As the investigation progressed, more depositors came forward. This led to multiple charge-sheets being filed. Initially, there was one charge-sheet, but soon there were five, all stemming from the same original complaint.
"The Investigating Officer split Charge-sheet No.2 into three more charge-sheets... ending up with five charge-sheets before the court."
The main argument from Ameet Savant's side, led by Lawyer Mr. Agni, was that these should not be separate cases. Instead, they should be combined into one trial. This is because they all relate to the same type of offense and involve the same accused.
"The rules in Section 220 and more specifically Sub-Sections 1 and 2 thereof would specifically apply to cases covered by Charge-sheet Nos.1 to 5."
Judge Valmiki Menezes agreed with Ameet Savant's argument. The court canceled the separate charge-sheets and ruled that they should be combined into one trial. This decision was influenced by previous Supreme Court rulings on similar matters.
"The impugned orders dated 08.08.2025 passed by the Sessions Court... are canceled and set aside."
Now, all five charge-sheets will be tried together as one case under Special Case No.13/2019. This means one trial, one set of witnesses, and hopefully, a clearer path to justice.
"The Sessions Court shall try all five charge-sheets under one trial at which witnesses... shall be examined in a single trial."
This case highlights the complexity of financial fraud cases and the importance of streamlined legal processes. By combining the charges, the court aims to ensure a fair and efficient trial.
