Sundergarh: The Economic Offences Wing (EOW) of the Odisha Police on Friday arrested a man on charges of allegedly using cloned cheques to withdraw Rs 2.87 crores from Bank of India (BOI), Rourkela Branch.
The accused, identified as B. Murty Pillai of Rourkela, was arrested based on the complaint lodged by one Anjani Kumar Singh Azad, Chief Manager of Bank of India, Rourkela Branch.
According to police, Pillai, a customer of Bank of India, Rourkela Branch by using a cloned cheque as original has managed to avail Rs 2.87 crores from the bank and diverted the same for his personal use.
During the investigation, it is ascertained that the accused B Murty Pillai is having a cash credit account at Bank of India (BOI), Rourkela Branch. On November 3, Pillai deposited a Bank of India Cheque, vide No. 383054 for Rs 2.87 crores, purportedly issued from the Account of M/s Karnataka State Co-operative Marketing Federation Limited (KSCMFL) in that account.
The said Cheque was cleared by the branch officials and deposited in the above mentioned cash credit account of accused, Pillai.
However, later, on November 20, BOI, Bangalore LCB branch intimated that the original Cheque No. 383054 is in the possession of its owner, M/s Karnataka State Co-operative Marketing Federation. As such, the cheque passed at BOI, Rourkela Branch is a fake one.
It has also been revealed that soon after clearing of the fake cheque and deposit of Rs 2.87 crores in his account, accused B Murty Pillai on the same day (03.11.2020), has transferred Rs 2.6 crores to the accounts of his own Company namely, BMP & Sons Construction Pvt. Ltd. maintained with ICICI Bank and Bank of India, Civil Township Branch, Rourkela.
Subsequently, the rest amount (approx. 23 lakhs) was transferred by the accused to the accounts of his close relatives and his own loan account including cash withdrawal of Rs. 5 lakhs during the period between 03.11.2020 to 06.11.20.
A case was registered and the accused was arrested under Sections 420/467/468/471/120(B) of IPC. He is being forwarded to the Court of SDJM, Panposh, Rourkela. Further investigation into the matter is underway, a senior official said.
