Daijiworld Media Network - Mangaluru (SP)
Mangaluru, Aug 3: In connection with the illegal transfer of deposit of Rs 55 crore standing in the name of Karnataka Rural Infrastructure Development Ltd (KRIDL) at Indian Overseas Bank (IOB) Kulai branch, criminal investigation department (CID) personnel have arrested seven persons and produced them in the court of the chief judicial magistrate here on Thursday, August 2.
The accused in the case were remanded to judicial custody. It is said that the size of the fraud and fraudsters involved with the case have taken the CID by surprise.
It is said that seven persons accepted the money to be transferred to their accounts with an eye on commission offered to them. It is gathered that amount running into crores of rupees were transferred from IOB Kulai branch to 24 Benami accounts. CID investigating team has so far succeeded in recovering Rs 6 crore out of Rs 55 crore swindled in this case.
It is said that Shijo, manager of IOB Kolnad branch, introduced Abdul Salam from Bantwal as a KRIDL officer to Sherin, manager of IOB Kulai branch. After the Kulai branch manager facilitated Abdul Salam to open fake current account, fake documents were created, Salam was enticed with commission, and funds were transferred to his account.
Through transactions like these, between October 24 and 30 during 2017, a total amount of Rs 55 crore was transferred to different Benami accounts. Relating to the case, KRIDL officials had filed complaint during February 2018. The state government, considering the gravity of the case, had transferred the case to CID.
CID police have now spread out a net to nab the brain behind this entire case. Manu Bola from West Bengal is said to be the main conspirator behind this fraud. He is absconding. Amit Dave, a middleman from Mumbai, Suresh Kumar from Chennai, IOB officers, Shijo and Sherin, Benami account holder, Abdul Salam from Bantwal, Sunil Kumar and Cherry from Mandya were arrested in the past. The court had granted bail to them.
CID learnt that Manu Bola, Suresh Kumar and Amit Dave used to gather information about deposits kept in banks, create fake documents, open Benami current accounts in the same names and get the deposits transferred to them. The seven people now in judicial custody had opened accounts and facilitated fraudulent transactions with an eye on commission offered to them. It is said that KRIDL officials were in no way involved with this scandal.