Bank officials attach the metal workshop on Monday. (Ramen Mondal)

Balurghat, Aug. 11: The United Commercial Bank has attached three business establishments in Balurghat after their owners failed to pay back loans. The properties include Loknath Bar, where six persons died after consuming spurious liquor on February 26, 2007.

Chandan Sarkar and his brother Tulshi, the joint owners of Loknath Bar, had taken a loan of Rs 6 lakh from the bank in 2001-2002, but did not pay the monthly instalments.

The Sarkars had taken the loan to turn their eatery into a bar-cum-restaurant. They fled the area after the tragedy, but were arrested 10 days later. They were released on bail when the police failed to submit the chargesheet within 90 days.

Piyush Debnath of Balurghat’s Khidirpur had taken a loan of Rs 10 lakh for setting up a metal workshop during the same fiscal. His dues, including principal and interest, are Rs 11.84 lakh.

A pharmaceutical trader, Debasish Chakraborty of Sibtala, had taken Rs 8 lakh from UCO Bank in 2001-02. He reportedly owes the bank Rs 7.58 lakh.

The bank authorities today raided these places with their lawyer and police and attached the properties.

The lawyer, Debasish Chakraborty, said there are more than 80 defaulters in the Balurghat branch alone. The total dues come to nearly Rs 6 crore.

“A bank needs no permission from the court to attach properties of defaulters. The law was passed in 2002 authorising banks to attach properties to recover financial assets,” Chakraborty said.

Suprokash Niyogi, the recovery section officer of the Suri region which covers Balurghat, said: “The owners of the three properties stopped paying the EMIs after a month or two. They did not respond to our notices either.”