DPP Appeals ‘Lenient’ Sentences in Rs 80 Million Theft from Bramer Bank

The Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) has launched a formal appeal against the sentencing of four men involved in a massive Rs 80 million fraud case, branding the punishments “manifestly inadequate and unduly lenient.”

In a notice of appeal filed on Wednesday, 22 April 2026, the DPP challenged the recent ruling handed down by the Financial Crimes Division.

The prosecution argues that the gravity and sheer scale of the fraud—which targeted the former Bramer Bank—warranted far more severe sanctions than those delivered on 17 April.

‘Excessive Weight’ on Repayments

At the heart of the appeal is the DPP’s contention that Magistrate Abdool Raheem Tajoodeen placed “excessive weight” on the fact that one of the defendants, Chandra Prakashsingh Dip—son of former Police Commissioner Anil Kumar Dip—had repaid a portion of his ill-gotten gains.

The court had previously noted that Dip returned Rs 1.9 million of the Rs 3.5 million he received through the scheme.

However, the DPP argued that the court’s focus on this reimbursement, and its efforts to identify a single “mastermind,” resulted in sentences that fail to reflect the seriousness of the crimes.

The Sentences Under Review

Despite all four defendants pleading guilty, the DPP maintains that the current penalties do not suffice:

• Darmendra Mulloo: Sentenced to nine months’ imprisonment and a fine of Rs 5,056,000 for 156 counts of money laundering totaling over Rs 18.5 million.
• Muhammad Saif Ullah Maulaboksh: Received 18 months in prison and a fine of Rs 1,580,000 for 16 counts of money laundering involving Rs 34.7 million.
• Chandra Prakashsingh Dip: Ordered to pay a fine of Rs 1,330,000 for 15 counts of money laundering.
• Sheik Mohammed Khadafi Jany: Received a fine of Rs 125,000 for two counts of money laundering.

Background of the Fraud

The charges stem from a series of illicit transactions carried out in 2011. Evidence presented during the trial detailed how Maulaboksh laundered more than Rs 34 million between April and August of that year, while Dip was found to have received multiple cheques from the company Yeschem Ltd totaling Rs 1,415,000.

The DPP’s move to appeal signals a push for a stricter judicial stance on high-value financial crime, asserting that the public interest demands a more robust deterrent.

Source: Defi Media