Rare verdict in Patna: At 95, he couldn't walk to the court, so court came to him

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• Judge holds roadside hearing for bedridden 95-year-old accused
• Accused confessed guilt in 15-year-old bank fraud case
• Court imposed only a Rs 2,000 fine due to age and health

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In a moment that redefined the contours of judicial compassion, a special CBI court judge abandoned the traditional dock and bench on Monday to deliver a verdict on a public road, bringing a 15-year-old bank fraud case to its final conclusion for a bed-ridden nonagenarian.

The extraordinary proceedings unfolded outside the Patna civil courts when Special Judge Avinash Kumar was confronted with an unusual predicament: the accused, 95-year-old Jai Narayan Singh, lay frail and immobile inside a vehicle, unable to take even a single step towards the courtroom.

For approximately 35 minutes, the road leading to the court complex was transformed into a temporary judicial precinct. Judge Kumar heard the matter from the roadside as Singh, barely able to move his legs, remained inside the vehicle with folded hands, confessing his guilt and pleading for the court’s amnesty, TOI reported.

The case, originally registered by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in 2011, pertained to a larger conspiracy involving fake borrowers and UCO Bank employees who allegedly swindled public money under the guise of agricultural loan schemes in Jamui district. Singh was accused of fraudulently obtaining approximately Rs 4 lakh for the purchase of a tractor 15 years ago using forged documents.

In a hearing that blended the gravity of the law with the fragility of life, the judge held Singh guilty but exercised extraordinary leniency. Taking judicial notice of the fact that the accused had already refunded the entire loan amount to the bank and considering his advanced age and debilitating physical condition, the court spared him a prison sentence.

Instead, the case was disposed off with a nominal fine of Rs 2,000.

Advocate Shailesh Kumar, who witnessed the incident on the premises of the Patna civil courts, described the scene as cited by TOI. Throughout the roadside hearing, he noted, Jai Narayan remained in a lying posture, his confession of guilt accompanied by a plea for amnesty.