₹6-cr fraud: Challan against 9 bank employees among 14

KAPURTHALA: Police have filed a chargesheet in a local court in connection with the ₹6 crore loan fraud involving a private firm in 2014 and named 14 people, including nine bank officials, who were booked at that time.

The chargesheet was submitted after an inquiry was conducted by the crime branch, Mohali.

Those named in the challan are the then State Bank of India (SBI) branch manager Sonal Gupta, additional manager Dharminder Tiwari, then assistant general managers (AGMs) Vipan Negi, Aditi Walia, Garima Pritam and Kotak Mahindra Bank’s sales manager Deepak Bajaj, credit manager Nawal Kishore, direct sales agent Gurinder Bajwa, the then Axis Bank sales manager Ajay Kumar Gautam, chartered accountant (CA) Rajiv Singh and firm partner Sukhwinder Singh and three of his family members.

A case was registered against the 14 in the matter in May 2014 after Ikaum Impex owner Sonia Bawa, a resident of Kapurthala, had lodged a complaint against her partner Sukhwinder, his family members and bank officials of committing a fraud ₹6 crore by forging documents.

Sonia had alleged that as per the partnership deed her partner was supposed to get her signature while dealing with a bank or a financial institution but he did not do so in connivance with bank officials while applying for a loan.

During the course of the investigation, the police found the firm’s papers were tampered with.

The police said Sukhwinder Singh and his family had managed to flee the country and they have declared him a proclaimed offender (PO).

The bank officials named in the chargesheet are out on bail.

CASE WAS REGISTERED IN MAY 2014 AFTER FIRM OWNER SONIA BAWA OF KAPURTHALA LODGED A COMPLAINT AGAINST HER PARTNER, HIS KIN AND BANK OFFICIALS