In Haryana, a case of embezzlement of money worth about Rs 160 crore from another government department has come to light. This case of embezzlement has come to light in Panchkula Sector 11 branch of Kotak Mahindra Bank and this money is being said to be of Panchkula Municipal Corporation. Officials of Kotak Mahindra Bank have been accused of embezzlement of FD worth Rs 160 crore of Panchkula Municipal Corporation. It is alleged that this amount was transferred by opening fake accounts. On maturity of FD worth Rs 58 crore, it was revealed that all the FDs were fake. The corporation has started the process of registering an FIR against the bank and has also written a letter to the Haryana government to de-empanel the bank.
This is how fraud happened
Officials and employees of Kotak Mahindra Bank have been accused of embezzlement of Rs 160 crore from Panchkula Municipal Corporation. It is alleged that the amount deposited in the name of Fixed Deposit (FD) was transferred to fake accounts and only paper records were handed over to the corporation. The matter came to light when the corporation asked to transfer the maturity amount of an FD worth Rs 58 crore to its account. The amount transferred was shown in the statement given by the bank, but the money did not reach the actual account. Investigation revealed that the statement was also fake and the amount was missing. After this, when the Municipal Corporation asked to transfer the other FDs to the account after maturing them, it was shockingly revealed that all the FDs given by the bank were fake and there was no amount in the account. It is alleged that the bank employees kept this embezzlement hidden for a long time through fake documents. Along with the bank employees, there is also a suspicion of involvement of some Municipal Corporation employees and officers in the case.
Investigation handed over to Anti Corruption Bureau
As soon as the Municipal Corporation officials came to know about the bank scam, they immediately wrote a letter to the bank and the Haryana Government and informed them. After which Kotak Mahindra Bank also became active and submitted a complaint in the name of DCP of Panchkula. Seeing the seriousness of the matter, the Haryana Government has handed over the matter to the State Vigilance and Anti Corruption Bureau where an FIR has been registered and investigation is underway. Panchkula Municipal Corporation had opened an account in the Kotak Mahindra Bank branch of Sector-11. In which 16 FDs of Municipal Corporation were in this branch. These FDs were transferred from SBI Bank. Now investigation has revealed that no record of 5 FDs has been found in the bank. The names of former bank employees Swati and Pushpindra are coming to light in the case.
Panic in Municipal Corporation
A few days ago, when IDFC First Bank’s fraud with government departments was revealed in Haryana, the Haryana government wrote a letter to all its departments and instructed them to investigate the money kept in private banks and the FDs made there. Panchkula Municipal Corporation officials wrote a letter to Kotak Mahindra Bank asking to return their FD on maturity. To which the bank replied that the bank does not have any FD of yours under these numbers. When such a reply was received from Kotak Mahindra Bank, there was a stir in the Municipal Corporation office. After which an investigation team was formed by the Municipal Corporation. In which Account Officer, Commissioner and Joint Commissioner were included. The investigation team prepared the report and sent it again to the government and the bank.
such an open pole
Bank employees have used cunning minds while committing fraud. The renewal documents of the bank were sent to the Municipal Corporation every time, so that the matter did not come to the notice of the officials. The officers remained relaxed without getting the accounts checked. Two accounts were opened in the bank by the Municipal Corporation. Apart from this, two separate accounts were opened separately on the same documents. The money from those accounts was later transferred to different accounts. It is being told that a large amount has also been transferred to the account of a woman associated with the bank. The FD amount in the bank was being renewed every time, but the officials never considered it necessary to investigate it. Even now, when a letter was written to withdraw the amount, an employee of the bank reached the corporation with the intention of covering up.
A bank employee offered the Municipal Corporation to get an FD again with a higher interest rate, but this time the Municipal Corporation officials did not fall into the trap. And when the corporation asked for the money back from the bank, no proper response was received due to which the whole matter came to light. After the matter came to light, Panchkula Municipal Corporation officials have maintained silence for the time being. Due to the completion of the tenure of Panchkula Mayor, the charge of the corporation is currently with the Commissioner.
CM gave statement
Regarding this entire matter, Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Saini also gave a measured statement and said that orders for investigation have been given in the case of scam done by Kotak Mahindra Bank with Panchkula Municipal Corporation and all such cases are being investigated and appropriate action will be taken in it. Vigilance was ordered by the Chief Secretary of Haryana Government to investigate this matter, after which Vigilance has registered an FIR and started investigation. The way cases of fraud with fixed deposits of government money in private banks are coming to light one after the other in Haryana, it is clear that some employees and officers of the Haryana government are also involved in these frauds. Because without their connivance it is impossible for these banks to commit such fraud.