O R D E R

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Petitioner is the accused in CC No.840/2015 of the Judicial First Class Magistrate's Court, Kothamangalam, which has arisen from Crime No.1157/2014 of Kothamangalam Police Station for the offences punishable under Section 420 IPC and Section 17 of the Kerala Money Lenders Act , 1958.

2. It is the case of the petitioner that the petitioner has never been involved in any money lending business and he has not obtained any licence for money lending also. According to the learned counsel for the petitioner, the petitioner is engaged in conducting chitty business lawfully.

3. Learned Public Prosecutor has pointed out that on a raid conducted by the police at the office premises of the petitioner, certain cheques, blank stamp papers and possession certificates could be recovered and seized and there is everything to suspect that the petitioner was engaged in money lending business unauthorisedly and illegally, by obtaining such documents as security from the members of the public.

4. The learned Public Prosecutor has fairly conceded that the statements of the witnesses concerned, have revealed that they were subscribers of various chitties being conducted by the peti