An old couple in Jamshedpur has been allegedly cheated of Rs 40 lakh kept in a nationalised bank in Seraikela-Kharsawan, which the victim's FIR naming seven bank employees and one unnamed middleman.
Though the FIR was lodged on December 29, 2016, police have been proceeding cautiously in the probe as the FIR names Bank of India (BoI) zonal manager Alok Prasad Yadav, deputy zonal manager Veersen Boipai and five branch managers of the bank's Asangi branch, Seraikela-Kharsawan.
Four years ago, victims Hemlata Vakharia (75) and Natwarlal Vakharia (80), who stay in a joint family in Bistupur's R-Road, and who got the lump sum by selling a plot in Mango, decided to invest Rs 45 lakh in FDs to live off its interest.
Though they put the money in Allahabad Bank, an agent convinced the couple to transfer the money to BoI, Asangi branch, saying they offered an FD with a three-year lock-in and 8 per cent interest for senior citizens.
On March 22, 2013, the couple transferred Rs 45 lakh to BoI in nine FDs, the first alarm bell ringing that day itself. Then Asangi branch manager Anand Kumar did not issue the FD certificate, claiming they didn't have any and would give it next month.
The couple did not make the 5km trip from Bistupur to Asangi to collect the certificate in April. They let the matter go as they got bank interest from April 2013 to March 2014. But, when interest stopped coming, they went to the bank. "We were told there was a loan against Rs 40 lakh. We said it can't be, but people at the bank insisted it was so," the old lady said.
In plain terms, it meant the old couple no longer had Rs 40 lakh in the FD.
On January 6, 2016, the couple submitted a petition with BoI's zonal office, requesting senior bank authorities to submit the FD sum and accrued interest in their savings account and sent copies of the petition to the bank's regional and head offices. On February 9, 2016, they petitioned BoI, asking how a loan could be granted against an FD when they never applied for one. On February 20, 2016, the bank replied a probe was on. Three months of silence followed. The couple again petitioned on May11, 2016, demanding the bank pay them back the FD amount.
On November 24, 2016, the Vakharias got a notice from BoI saying they had a loan of Rs 48,62,094 due. On December 29, 2016, they approached the police with receipts of the first year when they got interest and the full correspondence.
Adityapur OC Jai Prakash Rana confirmed the FD fraud. "Prima facie, we found the complaint genuine. There was a fraudulent withdrawal of Rs 40 lakh by unidentified persons but we found involvement of bank officials, too," he said. "Though there are eight accused, including BoI zonal and deputy zonal managers, we will file a chargesheet on getting more evidence."
Zonal manager Yadav could not be contacted. Deputy zonal manager Boipai directed bank security officer Ved Prakash Ojha to speak on the case. Ojha said the bank was conducting its own inquiry.
