Reddy
Resident Magistrate Lameck Mwale has issued a bench warrant for the imminent arrest of Vikram Investment Chairman Panyam Vikram Deva Reddy and Kalikiri Poornakumar who disobeyed court summons delivered to him in December last year .
This is a case in which Vinod Yaddula sued his former boss Vikram Reddy for forgery and theft of cheques.
When the case was called for hearing, Counsel Mulambo Haimbe informed the Court that he had joined as co counsel on behalf of the complainant and would be prosecuting the matter together with Counsel K Phiri also of Malambo and Co and R Msumali of SLM legal practitioners. Counsel Haimbe then informed the Court that the summons to the accused persons had been served personally on the accused persons in India pursuant to Section 93 (1) of the CPC Cap 88 of the laws of Zambia and that the prosecution was not aware as to why the accused persons were not before Court. Counsel explained to the Court that in the absence of an explanation, they considered that the accused persons had wilfully disobeyed the summons, hence applied for a warrant for the arrest of the accused persons pursuant to Section 101 of the CPC as soon as they set foot in Zambia.
The Court granted the application and accordingly issued a bench warrant against the two accused persons returnable on 25th February 2020 at 09.00 before the same Court.
Accordingly, In a CRMP /109314 Court Summon dated Sunday 9th December 2019, in the Subordinate Court of Zambia of the First Class for the Lusaka District Holden at Lusaka (Criminal Jurisdiction) between Srisai Chaithrika Mining Limited as Complainant and Kalikiri Poornakumar and Panyam Vikram Deva Reddy both of Lusaka as 1st and 2nd defendants respectively.
In Court Summons to the accused Kalikiri Poornakumar and Panyam Vikram Deva Reddy both of Lusaka as 1st and 2nd defendants respectively, goodall were required to be present in court to answer a complaint of three counts of theft, receiving stolen property and forgery contrary to Sections 272, 318, 342, 344 (a), and 347 of the Penal Code Act (PCA), Chapter 87 of the Laws of Zambia.
In Count 1, the 1st Accused is accused of ‘Theft’ contrary to Sections 272 of the Penal Code Act of the Laws of Zambia, when you, KALIKIRI POORNAKUMAR, on dates unknown but between 30th March 2019 and 15th April 2019, in the Chibombo District of the Central Province Republic of Zambia stole the sum of K57, 650, gold minerals, and United Bank of Africa (UBA) Limited pre-signed cheques Nos 00030 to 000037 and 000011 to 000015, the property of from the said SRISAI CHAITHRIKA MINING LIMITED.
In Count 2, the 2nd Accused is alleged of RECEIVING STOLEN PROPERTY contrary to Sections 318 of the Penal Code of the Laws of Zambia, when you PANYAM VIKRAM DEVA REDDY, jointly and whilst acting together with KALIKIRI POORNAKUMAR on dates unknown but between 30th December 2018 and 17th May 2019, did receive a United Bank of Africa (UBA) Limited pre-signed cheque Nos 00030, from KALIKIRI POORNAKUMAR, the property of SRISAI CHAITHRIKA MINING LIMITED.
IN Count 3, FORGERY, contrary to Sections 342, 344 (a), and 347 of the Penal Code Act, Chapter 87 of the Laws of Zambia, when you PANYAM VIKRAM DEVA REDDY, jointly and whilst acting together with KALIKIRI POORNAKUMAR on dates unknown but between 30th December 2018 and 17th May 2019, forged a United Bank of Africa Limited (UBA) pre-signed cheques Nos 00030, purporting to be a cheque, endorsed by SRISAI CHAITHRIKA MINING LIMITED.
The duo was commanded in the name of the President to appear in person before the Subordinate Court of the First Class of Lusaka on the 24th day of December 2019 at 08:30 hours.
Since the accused were not in court on Monday 24th December 2019, the Lusaka Subordinate Court has since asked VINOD YADDULA, through the plaintiffs’ lawyer to serve fresh documents on the defendants so that he does not make lack of such notification as a justifiable alibi (reason or explanation), not to appear on Tuesday 28th January 2020, set as a new date, to hear the matter at hand(yesterday)