₹6-cr loan fraud: Three more SBI officials surrender in Kapurthala

Three officials of the State Bank of India (SBI) on Monday surrendered before the court of chief judicial magistrate (CJM) here and were sent to 14-day judicial custody in a ₹ 6-crore loan fraud case.

Those who surrendered on Monday are SBI assistant general managers (AGMs) Vipin Negi and Aditi Walia, and additional manager Dharminder Tiwari . Former AGM Garima Parihar had surrendered before the CJM court on Friday.

In 2014, Sonia Bawa, owner of Ikaum Impex firm, had lodged a complaint against SBI officials and her partner Sukhwinder Singh, alleging a fraud of ₹6 crore by forging documents. A case was registered against 14 people, including nine bank officials.

She had alleged that as per the partnership deed, her partner was supposed to get her signatures 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 probe, police had found that the firm’s papers were tampered with.

On August 31, 2018, CJM Ajit Pal Singh had initiated the process of declaring all four SBI employees as proclaimed offenders as they failed to join the investigation. The court had issued non-bailable warrants against four bank officials and chartered accountant Rajiv Singhavi.

Earlier in May, Kapurthala police had filed a charge sheet in the court against 14 people — SBI branch manager Sonal Gupta; additional manager Dharminder; AGMs Vipin Negi, Aditi Walia and Garima Parihar; Kotak Mahindra bank’s sales manager Deepak Bajaj, credit manager Nawal Kishore, direct sales agent Gurinder Bajwa, Axis Bank sales manager Ajay Kumar Gautam, chartered accountant Rajiv Singhavi, firm partner Sukhwinder Singh and three of his family members.

The court has declared main accused — firm partner Sukhwinder Singh and three of his family members — as proclaimed offenders. They are in abroad and a red corner notice (a notice issued by Interpol to seek location and arrest of wanted persons to extradition or similar lawful action) had already been issued against them.

IN MAY, POLICE HAD FILED A CHARGESHEET IN COURT AGAINST 14 PEOPLE