Last Year, a shocking case of embezzlement was reported in UCO Bank. Employees of a UCO Bank branch in Etah district, including the branch manager, have been accused of preparing fake documents and stealing Rs. 1.4 crore from customers’ accounts. The scam was uncovered when one of the account holders, Shailendra Kumar, discovered that his money was missing during a routine visit to the bank.
Shailendra, a resident of Sheetalpur in Etah, had an account at the UCO Bank branch on GT Road. He had applied for a house loan of Rs. 29.50 lakh, which was approved in October. After withdrawing the first installment of the loan, Shailendra noticed irregularities. The complainant said that his mobile number was changed preventing him from receiving account updates.
When Shailendra tried to withdraw the second installment, he faced further delays. The bank staff gave him excuses for not issuing a cheque book or printing his passbook. A few days later, when Shailendra tried to withdraw the remaining loan amount, he found that his account was empty. Investigations revealed that the bank employees had withdrawn Rs. 9.5 lakh from his account using fake documents and signatures.
Shailendra raised the issue with the bank’s higher authorities, leading to the transfer of the branch manager to Kanpur. However, the situation worsened when the accused manager promised to return the money through a cheque, but the cheques bounced due to insufficient funds. When Shailendra visited the bank manager’s house to demand the money, he was met with threats and abuse.
Unable to resolve the issue, Shailendra filed a case in court, and in May 2024, an FIR was registered at Kotwali Nagar. The police launched an investigation, and soon six more victims came forward, filing complaints against the accused. Police found that the total amount embezzled was Rs. 1.4 crore, with Rs. 90 lakh belonging to the customers.
The police arrested the main accused, branch manager and sent him to jail. The investigation is ongoing, and further arrests are expected.
Additional Superintendent of Police Rajkumar Singh confirmed the arrest and said, “The bank staff, along with their agents, embezzled a large sum of money from the customers’ accounts. Six separate cases have been registered, and the investigation continues.”
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