Bank credits swindled amount of Rs 81.5 lakh back in farmer’s account

Mahesh Sharma

Mandi Ahmedgarh, October 9

Showing indifference towards the investigating team of the Dehlon police in connection with an FIR registered for fraud worth Rs 81.5 lakh, the authorities at the branch of a private bank located at Paddi village allegedly tried to wash their hands off the responsibility by making good the loss of the farmer depositor.

An amount worth Rs 81.5 lakh that was swindled around six months ago with the alleged involvement of the manager of the bank’s Kapurthala branch, was credited to the depositor’s account following an action by activists of Bharti Kisan Union (Ekta Dakaunda), led by its district president Mahinder Singh Kamalpura and vice-president Rajvir Singh, recently. The protesters had allegedly locked the branch during one such action.

Kamalpura said Harbans Singh of Paddi village had received compensation for his land acquired by the government over six months ago. Harbans was later shocked to learn that an amount of Rs 81.5 lakh had been illegally transferred from his account on the basis of a fake cheque through the Kapurthala branch of the bank.

Though the Dehlon police had registered an FIR against Vishal Dhingra, manager of the Kapurthala branch of the private bank, Soni Singh and the unidentified kingpin, the bank officials, including Dhingra, appeared to be non-cooperative with the investigating team, led by Subhash Kataria.

A perusal of the FIR registered against Vishal Dhingra (manager of the Kapurthala branch), Sony Singh of Bhandal Bet village in Kapurthala district and the kingpin, revealed that the suspects had prepared a counterfeit copy of the cancelled cheque of savings account of Harbans Singh, which was deposited at the DRO branch of the bank as a prerequisite for lodging claim of cost of his land acquired by the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI).

How could the suspects scan a document lying in custody of an official at the DRO branch, why did not the bank’s Kapurthala branch manager contact the drawer of heavy amount cheque before transferring proceeds from a non-home branch to a new account opened just a month before the entry and why did Kapurthala branch officials allow withdrawal of amounts totalling to more than Rs 80 lakh shortly after, are among the major unanswered questions with the investigating police team.

Investigating officer in the case Subhash Kataria claimed that it was due to intensive investigation by the police that the bank had managed to credit the amount in the farmer’s account after seeking compensation from the insurance company concerned.

“But that does not mean that the investigation is deemed closed. The FIR has been registered on the basis of the outcome of a detailed inquiry and we will take the case to its logical conclusion and probe the role of employees at Paddi and DRO branch under the guidance of seniors,” said Kataria.

Victim had got compensation 6 months ago

Mahinder Singh Kamalpura, district president of the Bharti Kisan Union (Ekta Dakaunda), said Harbans Singh of Paddi village had received compensation for his land acquired by the government over six months ago. Harbans was later shocked to learn that an amount of Rs 81.5 lakh had been illegally transferred from his account on the basis of a fake cheque through the Kapurthala branch of the bank.

Join Whatsapp Channel of The Tribune for latest updates.

#Mandi