The Calcutta High Court has quashed criminal proceedings against a professor of the University of Calcutta who had been accused of forgery and fraudulent withdrawal of funds linked to a government-sponsored research project.
Justice Tirthankar Ghosh held that the evidence collected during the investigation did not create a strong suspicion against the accused and allowing the case to continue would amount to an abuse of the legal process.
Background of the Case
The case originated from a complaint filed by Prof. Asis Mukhopadhyay, Head of the Department of Jute and Fibre Technology at the University of Calcutta. The complaint alleged that forged signatures had been used on certain vouchers related to a research and development project sponsored by the Ministry of Textiles, Government of India.
According to the complaint, four vouchers - numbered 48, 55, 56 and 59 - carried signatures that were allegedly fake. The department had been informed during a verification process that the signatures of Debashis Shome, whose name appeared on the vouchers, were disputed.
It was suspected that funds had been withdrawn using these documents through impersonation and forged signatures, prompting the department to request police investigation.
The police registered Ballygunge Police Station Case No. 145/18 in November 2018. After investigation, the authorities filed a charge sheet in April 2023 and later submitted a supplementary charge sheet in December 2025, relying on several documents, witness statements, and handwriting expert opinions.
Investigators seized various documents, including original vouchers, account statements, and several cheques issued from a UCO Bank account. Some witnesses told investigators that they had withdrawn money from the bank and handed it over to Debashis Shome on his instructions.
Handwriting experts examined disputed signatures and writings on multiple occasions. Their reports, however, did not conclusively establish that the accused professor authored the disputed writings.
In several instances, the experts noted that the available materials were insufficient to determine authorship of the signatures. In another opinion, they stated that certain disputed writings did not match the specimen signatures of the individuals examined.
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While hearing the revision petition filed by Swapan Kumar Ghosh, the court carefully examined the expert reports, witness statements, and documentary evidence placed by the prosecution.
Justice Ghosh noted that the materials collected by the investigating agency did not create a clear link between the accused and the alleged forgery.
“The handwriting expert’s opinion and the statements of the witnesses do not inspire confidence,” the court observed, adding that the witnesses themselves stated that the money withdrawn from the bank was handed over to Debashis Shome.
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The court also relied on established legal principles from Supreme Court judgments stating that criminal prosecution should proceed only when evidence creates grave suspicion, not merely a weak or speculative one.
Citing precedent, the court reiterated that criminal law should not be set into motion casually and that courts must examine whether the materials on record justify a full trial.
After examining the record, the High Court concluded that the evidence gathered by the investigators was inconsistent and insufficient to justify continuing the prosecution.
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The court held that allowing the case to proceed further would amount to misuse of the judicial process.
Justice Ghosh ruled that all proceedings arising from Ballygunge Police Station Case No. 145/18 dated 3 November 2018 stand quashed, and the criminal revision petition filed by the professor was allowed.
Pending applications connected with the case were also disposed of.
Case Title:- Swapan Kumar Ghosh vs The State of West Bengal & Anr.
Case Number:- C.R.R. 497 of 2021
Judgment Delivered on: 02 March 2026
