Jammu, June 28:
The Economic Offences Wing (EOW) of the Crime Branch Jammu has registered a case into an alleged loan fraud involving over ₹68 lakh in J&K Grameen Bank. The case has been registered under Sections 420 and 120-B of the IPC following complaints received through the Crime Headquarters J&K from the Director, Anti-Corruption Bureau.
The complaints, filed by the Chief of Audits, Inspection and Vigilance of J&K Grameen Bank, relate to alleged financial irregularities at the bank’s Kaluchak and Surankote branches.
According to the preliminary enquiry, 58 loan accounts under 15 Joint Liability Groups (JLGs) and two Cash Credit accounts were allegedly opened fraudulently at the Kaluchak branch without the knowledge or consent of the account holders. The suspected fraud amounts to nearly ₹42 lakh.
The enquiry further revealed that around ₹12 lakh was allegedly diverted to bank accounts reportedly maintained in the name of the deceased Senior Manager, Bhagwan Singh Saini, while the remaining amount was allegedly withdrawn through ATMs. A Daily Wager posted at the branch also reportedly admitted to using ₹2 lakh from one JLG loan account for personal purposes, following which recovery was made in two accounts.
In a separate complaint regarding the Surankote branch, Branch Head Rohit Kumar and others have been accused of unauthorized transactions and debits amounting to ₹7.37 lakh. The complaint also alleges that loans worth around ₹19 lakh were fraudulently sanctioned and withdrawn through five fake loan accounts opened without the borrowers’ knowledge. These accounts were later shown as settled or closed to allegedly reconcile the branch’s cash position.
