A woman Bank Mitra defrauded villagers in Kalimela block, Malkangiri district, by promising subsidised loans and misappropriating deposits worth Rs 18 lakh.
Sarala Mandal, who worked as a Bank Mitra at Utkal Grameen Bank in Motu, collected money from more than eight people in 2024. She assured them subsidised loans; however, she diverted the funds for personal use. Consequently, the victims discovered that their loans never materialised.
Therefore, the aggrieved villagers lodged a complaint at Motu police station under Case No. 12/12/9/2024. Soon after, police investigated the matter, arrested Mandal on March 18, and produced her before the court.
Later, the Motu JMSC Court heard the case. Judge Anshuman Dash examined 18 witnesses and reviewed the evidence. As a result, the court sentenced Mandal to three years of rigorous imprisonment and imposed a fine of Rs 50,000. Moreover, the judgment stated that failure to pay the fine would lead to an additional three months of imprisonment.
Additionally, government lawyer Tapas Kumar Nath handled the prosecution. The verdict underscores the seriousness of financial fraud in rural banking services.
