- Police charge her with criminal breach of trust, and book six others for helping her defraud bank
- The CPM-controlled bank has suspended her after the fraud came to light
Kasaragod: Hosdurg Police have charged a manager of a cooperative bank with criminal breach of trust after she allegedly pledged gold ornaments pawned by other customers to defraud Rs 58.41 lakh of the bank.
T Neena allegedly committed the fraud at Manikoth branch of Kottachery Service Cooperative Bank where she was the manager from June 2020. "The fraud came to light when we issued transfer order to her to join the head office this June," said the Kanhangad-based bank's president K Viswanathan. Before she could be transferred, she was suspended, he said.
The CPM-controlled bank has eight branches in and around Kanhangad.
"As a bank employee, she could not take loan from her own branch. So she roped in six members of the bank to perpetuate the fraud," said president Viswanathan, who retired as a registrar of the Department of Cooperation.
Based on the complaint by the secretary of the bank, Hosdurg police charged the six persons with dishonest misappropriation of property (Section 403 of the IPC), cheating with knowledge that wrongful loss may ensue to person whose interest offender is bound to protect (S 418), cheating (S 420), criminal breach of trust (S 409), and falsification of records (S 477 A).
The bank members who allegedly help Neena swindle the money were identified as Sajan Balu, Abdul Rahman, Muhammed Farhan, P Naseema, E V Saradha and A Rajesh.
Neena was with the bank for 18 years. "But we believe she started cheating the bank in March this year," said Viswanathan.
She returned Rs 31 lakh of the Rs 58.41 lakh she allegedly swindled from the bank, he said. "We put a lot of pressure on her to return the money," he said.
When asked if the bank had any proof of her involvement in the fraud, considering that the gold was re-pledged by six other customers, the president said Neena gave in writing how she did it. "We have her statement. She cannot deny it," he said.
If convicted, she may face a jail term for seven years to 10 years or even a life term.