O R D E R

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These Criminal Revision Petitions are filed by accused Nos.1 to 5 in CC Nos.197/2006 and 230/2006 on the files of the Court of the Judicial First Class Magistrate's Court-I, Alappuzha.

2. The 1st petitioner in the Crl.R.P. is an incorporated Finance Company. The 2nd petitioner is the Managing Director and petitioners 3 and 4 are Directors. The 5th petitioner is the Branch Manager and Deposit Consultant.

3. The respondents/complainants alleged that the 1st petitioner-Company was accepting deposits from the public offering higher rate of interest. The petitioners represented that they are accepting deposits strictly in accordance with the supervision and control of the Reserve Bank of India. Believing the petitioners, the complainant in Crl.R.P. No.1660/2018 deposited ₹3 lakhs and the complainant in Crl.R.P. No.1665/2018 deposited ₹2 lakhs. The deposits were made from August, 2002 to April, 2005. The petitioners paid interest only upto April, 2005. The complainants came to know that the RBI has prohibited the Company from accepting any deposits. The complainants alleged that the petitioners have cheated them and had dishonestly and fraudulently induced them to par