Former bank manager among 3 booked for fraud in Jalandhar

JALANDHAR: A former manager and an employee of Punjab national bank were booked on Saturday along with a local resident for allegedly withdrawing ₹19. 65 lakh from the savings account of an NRI customer in past few months.

The accused have been identified as former Punjab national bank manager Ramesh Vashisht, bank employee Aasha Rani and Gurdev Singh of Malsian village.

Police said the matter came to light after victim Balwinder Singh’ family approached present bank manager at Malsian branch, Baldev Raj, complaining that the balance was deducted fraudulently four months back. Following this, Raj started an investigation and came to know about the fraud.

He, then, approached the Jalandhar police and senior superintendent of police Navjot Singh Mahal asked Shahkot deputy superintendent of police (DSP) Dilbag Singh to investigate the case.

The DSP found that the former bank manager, his colleague and a local resident were guilty and recommended a case against them.

Assistant sub-inspector Sanjeevan Singh of Malsian police post said it has come to fore that Balwinder Singh, who is living in Manila, Philippines, opened a bank account at the branch and his family used to deposit the money in it.

Gurdev, a close relative of Balwinder, with the help of the accused branch manager and bank employee got a fake chequebook issued in the name of Balwinder and withdrew ₹19.65 lakh from his account.

A case under Sections 419 (cheating by personation), 420 (cheating), 465 (forgery), 467 (forgery of valuable security), 468 (forgery for purpose of cheating) and 471 (using as genuine a forged) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) was registered against all accused.