Bank fraud: Odisha man held for embezzling Rs 1.3 crore

Bhubaneswar: The Economic Offences Wing (EOW) of the Odisha Crime Branch has arrested a person for his alleged involvement in misappropriating government money amounting to Rs 1.32 crore.

The arrested has been identified as Bramhojyoti Behera of Balasore district. He has been apprehended under Sections 419, 420, 409, 467, 468 and 471 of IPC; and Sections 66(C), 66(D) of IT Act.

The case, which was registered on the basis of a complaint lodged by Swaraj Mohanty, Senior Branch Manager, Bank of India, Remuna Branch, Balasore, pertains to misappropriation of government money amounting to Rs 1.32 crore by Pravat Kumar Das, Business Correspondent of the bank, by falsely posting the amount in the pension accounts of two persons who were dead since long.

Investigation revealed that Pravat Kumar Das was entrusted to prepare pension rolls. Late Parsuram Giri was a pensioner and his pension amount was credited in his account maintained at the bank. He died on December 27, 2014. Similarly, late Sabitri Behera was also a pensioner and was getting family pension after death of her husband. She died on March 22, 2014.

After death of the two pensioners, Pravat Kumar Das had entered false and excessive amount of pension in their accounts each month with an ulterior motive. Till November 2018, he had posted Rs 65 lakh in the account of Late Parsuram Giri and Rs 67 lakh in the account of Late Sabitri Behera.

Pravat Das had hatched a criminal conspiracy with Bramhojyoti Behera, who is the son of Sabitri Behera, and Durga Charan Panda, the then Branch Manager of the bank. An ATM card was issued in the name of Sabitri Behera which was used by her son Bramhojyoti Behera. During the period 2014-18, Bramhojyoti Behera had withdrawn an amount of Rs 65 lakh from her deceased mother’s pension account and the same was distributed among the aforementioned three persons.

Both Pravat Kumar Das and Durga Charan Panda have been arrested earlier.