Bhubaneswar: The Economic Offences Wing (EOW) of Odisha Crime Branch claimed to have cracked a bank fraud of Rs 3.70 Crore. EOW yesterday arrested a man identified as Tanmay Kumar Maharana in this connection from Raipur of Chhattisgarh.
Tanmay is presently working as an Assistant Manager of IDBI Bank in Dandamukundapur branch in Pipili. He was an Asset Officer when the crime was committed.
The arrested was produced before JMFC Court in Raipur and was brought on the strength of a transit remand today in EOW PS Case No-03, dated 29.02.2024, U/s 409/420/467/468/471/120-B of the IPC. He will be produced before the Designated Court in Cuttack under OPID Act, later in the day.
According to an official source, the case was registered on the allegation of Sandeep Pattnaik, General Manager, IDBI Bank, Bhubaneswar that one Sarojkanta Mohapatra, Ex-Branch Head (now Manager) and Tanmay Maharana had illegally sanctioned 35 fictitious loans (majorly MUDRA loans) amounting to Rs 3.70 crore mostly in favour of their close relatives and acquaintances.
During investigations, it was found that Government cash of Rs 3.7 crore was deposited in two bank accounts of BDO in Pipili maintained with the IDBI Bank, Dandamukundapur branch.
In 2018, Pipili BDO had requested the bank for Fexi Fixed Deposit (FFD) of the above amount, and as per the advice of the erstwhile Branch Manager, the former BDO Pipili had issued seven numbers of ‘Yourself’ cheques for the purpose. It was also falsely intimated by the bank that the amount had been deposited in the Flexi Account, giving the details of the interest accrued thereupon.
When the BDO sought the details of the Flexi Account in 2022 and the statements of the account, the bank intimated that no such FFD has ever been booked or created from the accounts of the BDO in Pipili. After the matter was pursued with the bank, an internal investigation was conducted by the bank, in which it was ascertained that Rs 3.7 crore of the Block Office deposited with the bank was misappropriated by the then bank officials who diverted the amount for their wrongful gains.
Notably, the bank officials have been suspended from their service for such fraudulent conduct.
