Daijiworld Media Network - Koppal (SP)

Koppal, Jun 28: A bank manager here has escaped after raising loans running into lacs of rupees in the names of deceased persons. Apparently he did not have to provide Aadhaar car, voter identity card, PAN card, surety, and other documents to the bank for granting loans as he himself availed them.

This fraud, which amounts to Rs 15, 54,000, came to be known the concerned much later. The manager raised loan of eight lac rupees in the name of a farmer, Sannalaxmappa Erappa. He further raised loan of Rs 7.54,000 in the name of Parasappa from Katapura village in Karatagi taluk. The fact that Parasappa had died about ten years back did not deter the bank manager from sanctioning loan to himself in the farmer's name. The loan to Parasappa was granted at Karatagi branch of Andhra Bank.

The fact that a loan of seven lac rupees was granted in the name of Parasappa was not known to his son, Rangappa. It is said that the loan was raised against land standing in the name of Parsappa jointly by Shivanagouda from Eliganur village and the bank manager. Rangappa was not aware of the loan even after two years. When he recently approached the revenue department for an extract of his record of rights, he came to know that a loan was outstanding against his farm. Dismayed, Rangappa thereafter filed complaint in Karatagi police station.

Karatagi polie who registered the case, in a swift action arrested two persons. Shivanagouda and Veeresh Mahadeva from Karatagi, who are said to be hand in gloves with the bank manager in raising the loan by owning devious means, it is said. Rangappa and his children, who had not got even a rupee from this bank, are clueless.

The locals are up in arms against the trick played by the bank manager. A probe into the fraud has been ordered. Search is on for the bank manager, who is absconding.