Odisha's Cyber Crime Unit busts banking fraud racket, 3 arrested
The Cyber Crime Unit of Crime Branch, Odisha has busted a bank fraud racket to the tune of more than Rs 1.04 crore from the ICICI Bank, Dhenkanal Branch during 2021-22 with the arrest of three persons.
Crime Branch sources told UNI the crime branch team investigating the case has arrested 3 persons -- Swagatika Swain (28)a former Relationship Manager of the bank, her husband Manoj Kumar Sahoo (29) and Prasant Ku Sahoo, Deputy Bank Manager, ICICI Bank in connection with the case.
All three accused are being produced before the court of SDJM Bhubaneswar on Sunday.
The investigation so far revealed about registration of three similar cases at the Town Police Station, Dhenkanal against Swagatika Swain and her associates. Further complicity in other offences are under investigation.
The Crime branch swung into action after the Regional Head, ICICI Bank Financial Crime Prevention Group complained to the Crime Branch that several customers of ICICI Bank Dhenkanal Branch had raised concerns regarding unauthorized transactions from their ICICI Bank accounts. Upon such allegations, the bank had got an internal inquiry done and it was ascertained that fraudulent transactions were carried out in the form of unauthorized overdrafts against fixed deposits.
Swagatika Swain, a former Relationship Manager of the bank along with her husband Manoj Kumar Sahu had carried out the alleged disputed transactions for personal gain. All the alleged transactions were done from February 1, 2021, to June 30,2022.
They targeted mostly the senior citizens who were less aware of the use of electronic gadgets and online banking and in the veil of maintaining good relationships with such customers, the couple used to access their details and gradually started misusing the trust.
The Deputy Branch Manager and Manager of the said branch also seem to have connived through their silent approval of such acts.
So far 11 defrauded account holders have been identified to whom the Bank has suo-moto reimbursed lost money amounting to the tune of Rs 87,54,047/.
Many more such complaints can crop up in the coming days.
The ill-gotten money was being invested by Swagatika Swain and Manoj Ku Sahoo with a money lender.
(With UNI Inputs)
IBNS
Senior Staff Reporter at Northeast Herald, covering news from Tripura and Northeast India.
Related Articles
Kiren Rijiju arrives in Bhutan to lead delegation for return of sacred Buddha relics
Union Minister for Parliamentary Affairs and Minority Affairs, Kiren Rijiju arrived in Bhutan on Monday as part of the official delegation overseeing the return of the Sacred Relics of Lord Buddha, following their revered public exposition in Bhutan since November 8.
Volcanic ash from Ethiopia disrupts flights as cloud drifts toward India
Several flights were cancelled on Monday as Indian airlines and airports were put on alert over a massive ash plume drifting from Ethiopia’s Hayli Gubbi volcano, which erupted on Sunday for the first time in nearly 12,000 years, media reports said.
Huge crackdown! TRAI blocks over 21 lakh fraud numbers, 1 lakh entities in past one year
The Indian Ministry of Communications on Monday said over the past one year it facilitated the disconnection and blacklisting of more than 21 lakh mobile numbers and around one lakh entities involved in sending spam and fraudulent messages.
Ayodhya gears up for PM Modi’s big Ram Mandir visit: Don’t miss these key details!
Indian PM Narendra Modi will visit Shri Ram Janmbhoomi Mandir in Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh on November 25 to mark a momentous occasion in the nation’s socio-cultural and spiritual landscape.
Latest News
Tripura Govt ensures merit-based, transparent recruitment: CM
Govt focuses on last-person development in rural areas: CM
Tripura : Bihar arms supplier, two others arrested with firearms
US-China relations on the rise: Trump accepts Xi's invitation to visit Beijing next year
