In a shocking development, police have arrested two employees from IndusInd Bank – Devendra Singh, the branch manager from Kashipur, and Priyam Singh, a cashier from Awas Vikas Rudrapur – in connection with a massive financial scam. The scam involves the withdrawal of crores of rupees from a government account, and as of now, Rs 7.5 crore has been put on hold. Here’s a breakdown of what happened:
The Fraudulent Withdrawals
The scam was uncovered when it was discovered that a total of Rs 13 crore 51 lakh 46 thousand had been withdrawn from the account of the Special Acquisition Officer (SLO) using three fake cheques. The fake cheques had forged signatures, and the withdrawals were made without proper authorization.
Upon discovering this discrepancy, there was a significant reaction from the authorities. SLO Kaustubh Mishra, along with senior police officials including SP Crime Chandrashekhar R. Ghodke and SP City Manoj Katyal, visited the IndusInd Bank branch on Nainital Road to investigate the matter.
Immediate Investigation and Actions
The police and bank officials conducted a thorough investigation. They discovered that apart from the Rs 13 crore withdrawn from the SLO account in Rudrapur, an additional Rs 4 crore was withdrawn from an SLO account in Baghpat, Uttar Pradesh. The total amount involved in the scam so far is a staggering Rs 17 crore.
During the investigation, the police froze approximately Rs 6 crore that had been transferred to various accounts. The bank was also scrutinized for potential negligence. The cheques used in the fraud were dated August 28 and August 31, and it appears duplicate copies of legitimate cheques were made and used for these unauthorized transactions.
Bank and Police Actions
The bank was temporarily closed as the police interrogated its officers and employees. They reviewed footage from the bank on the days the fake cheques were deposited and began identifying customers who visited the bank on those dates.
SP Crime Chandrashekhar R. Ghodke confirmed that the case does not fall under cybercrime, as it involved physical cheques and not digital hacking. The focus is now on recovering the stolen funds and identifying all individuals involved in the scam.
Concerns and Further Investigation
Concerns have been raised about the role of bank officials in this case. Questions are being asked about why such large amounts were withdrawn without proper checks or verification from the SLO office. Preliminary investigations suggest possible negligence on the part of the bank officials.
The authorities are working diligently to secure and return the stolen funds and to identify those responsible for this massive fraud. A detailed investigation is underway, and actions will be taken based on the findings.
In summary, this scandal highlights serious issues of fraud and negligence within the banking system, and efforts are being made to address the situation and bring those responsible to justice.
