Inder Raj Meena, the manager of Bank of Baroda’s Sector-34 branch in Chandigarh, has been accused of defrauding a client of Rs 70 lakh. Meena allegedly misused his position to transfer funds from the account of Gursher Singh Pannu, a resident of Sector-9, into the accounts of his acquaintances using cheques meant for other recipients.
Discovery of Fraud Leads to Police Complaint
Gursher Singh Pannu, the account holder, discovered the unauthorized transfers and immediately reported the incident to the police. The Sector-34 police station investigated and filed charges against Meena, accusing him of conspiracy and fraud.
How the Fraud Occurred
Pannu, who held a current account with the Bank of Baroda and had a trusted relationship with Meena, had issued cheques worth Rs 70 lakh to several individuals as loans. However, these cheques were fraudulently transferred to different accounts by the manager:
- Jagannath’s Cheque: A cheque for Rs 21 lakh was deposited within the Bank of Baroda.
- Jaskaran Singh’s Cheque: The Rs 15 lakh cheque intended for Jaskaran Singh was redirected to an account belonging to Vishal Thakur.
- Govardhan’s Cheque: A cheque worth Rs 17.9 lakh was rerouted to an account linked to one of Meena’s associates.
- Simrandeep’s Cheque: A Rs 16 lakh cheque was similarly misappropriated and deposited into an unauthorized account.
Bank of Baroda Suspends Manager and Assists Investigation
Once the fraud was reported, Bank of Baroda quickly suspended Inder Raj Meena from his duties. The bank also pledged full cooperation with police efforts to investigate the case.
Police Investigation and Suspected Conspiracy
The police are conducting a thorough investigation, suspecting that Meena may have conspired with others in the bank to carry out this fraud. Authorities are questioning all potential suspects involved in the case to uncover the full extent of the conspiracy.
This investigation aims to shed light on how the fraud was orchestrated and to bring those responsible to justice.
