EOW ARRESTS TWO MORE ACCUSED PERSONS INCLUDING THE MAIN ACCUSED BANK MANANGER OF IDBI BANK IN THE BANK FRAUD OF Rs.3.70 CRORE
Bhubaneswar, (Odishabarta)
Economic Offences Wing, Bhubaneswar arrested main accused Saroj Kanta Mohapatra, Ex-Branch Manager of IDBI Bank, Dandamukundapur Branch, Pipili and accomplice/conspirator Angel Mishra, W/o. Debasish Mishra, Flat No. 1005, Tower-II, Tata Ariana PS. Bharatpur Dist. Khorda on 09.03.2024 from Cuttack and on 10.03.2024 from Puri respectively, in EOW PS Case No.03 dt.29.02.2024 U/s 409/420/467/468/471/120-B IPC. The arrested accused persons will be produced before the Hon’ble Court of PO, Designated Court under OPID Act, Cuttack today i.e. on 10.03.2024.
The case was registered on the allegation of Shri Sandeep Pattnaik, General Manager, IDBI Bank, Bhubaneswar that Shri Sarojkanta Mohapatra, Ex- Branch Head (now Manager) and Tanmay Kumar Maharana, Ex-Asset Officer (now Asst. Manager), IDBI Bank, Dandamukundapur Branch had illegally sanctioned/disbursed 35 fictitious loans (majorly MUDRA loans) amounting to Rs.3.70 Cr. mostly in favour of their close relative/acquaintances.
During investigation, it was found that the Govt. cash of Rs.3.7 Cr. was deposited in 2 bank accounts of BDO, Pipili maintained with IDBI Bank, Dandamukundapur Branch, Pipili. During 2018, BDO, Pipili, had requested the bank for Fexi Fixed Deposit (FFD) of the above amount, and as per the advice of the then accused Branch Manager, the then BDO, Pipili had issued 07 No. of “Yourself” cheques for the purpose.
It was also falsely intimated by the bank that the amount has been deposited in the Flexi Account, giving the details of the interest accrued thereupon.
During the year 2022, when the BDO, Pipili Block sought for the details of the Flexi Account and the statements of the account, the bank intimated that no such FFD has ever been booked/created from the accounts of BDO, Pipili.
When the matter was pursued with the bank, an internal investigation was conducted by the bank, in which it was surfaced that Rs.3.7 Cr. of Pipili Block Office deposited with the bank has been misappropriated by the then bank officials who have diverted the amount for their wrongful gain.
Investigation revealed that Sri Sarojkanta Mohapatra and Shri Tanmay Kumar Maharana, the respective Ex-Branch Manager and Ex-Asset Officer of IDBI Bank, Dandamukundapur Branch had fraudulently created 35 fictitious MUDRA loans amounting to Rs.10 lakhs each in the name of their close relatives /acquaintances, without the knowledge of the loanees. The disbursement of the loans was made to 35 loanees out of the funds of bank covered under General Ledger Account. The loan amounts were found to have transferred/diverted invariably to one particular account.
Further, in order to avoid audit, the above noted two bank officers closed the MUDRA loans so created fraudulently by transferring the cash from the accounts of BDO, Pipili. They could manage it by giving the false impression to the BDO that the amount has been deposited in the Flexi Account.
The arrested accused persons Saroj Mohapatra, Ex Branch Head of IDBI Bank Dandamukundapur Branch, Sri Tanmay Moharana, Ex Asset Officer of the Branch (Arrested and forwarded in the case earlier) and Angel Mishra entered in to a criminal conspiracy and pursuant to that Saroj Mohapatra and Tanmay Moharana fraudulently created 35 Nos of false MUDRA loan accounts in the name of different persons majorly in the name of their relatives and misappropriated the entire loan amount of Rs. 3.7 Cr. by diverting the same directly/indirectly to the Bank account of Angel Mishra maintained with SBI. The loanees have never applied for the loans nor did they avail the loan amount. Subsequently, in order to escape the audit, they closed the MUDRA Loans by transferring the amount from two accounts of BDO Pipili maintained with the Branch. For the purpose, the accused Bank Officials tampered the mandate of BDO, Pipili and used the forged documents as genuine.
The conspirator/ accomplice Angel Mishra is the classmate of the accused BM Saroj Mohapatra and shares a friendly relation with him. She is also involved in Khandagiri P.S Case No.- 468 dt 12.09.22 u/s 120- B/420/406/468/471/294/506/34 IPC. The other cases against her are under collection.
Arrested BM Saraojkanta Mohapatra is also involved in a Bank fraud case of 18 Crores by using clone cheque vide Bhopal STF Case No.-171/2020 u/s 420/467/468/471/120-B IPC.
Both the accd. Bank officials have also been suspended from their service due to such fraudulent conduct.
