Bhubaneswar: The Economic Offences Wing (EOW) of the Odisha Crime Branch has arrested a fraudster over his alleged involvement in a cheque cloning case of Bank of India amounting to Rs 9.60 crore.

The accused, Pomesh Tembhare, was apprehended in Balaghat, Madhya Pradesh on April 26.

The offence had come to fore after lodging of a complaint by Sujata Kanungo, the chief manager of Bank of India in Baripada, regarding unauthorized transactions of Rs. 9,56,76,600 from the account of the District Mineral Foundation Trust of Zilla Parishad, Mayurbhanj. These transactions occurred through four cheques on April 10 and April 18, this year.

Investigation revealed that the fraudsters transferred the funds to two accounts, PT Constructions & Supplier with Bank of Maharashtra and S K Enterprises with Punjab & Sindh Bank, using forged or cloned cheques. Subsequently, the money was further moved to various other accounts from these initial ones. Of the total amount, Rs. 5,04,06,900 was blocked, and Rs. 13,56,948 across 33 accounts was frozen.

The arrested person was found to be the owner and signatory of PT Constructions & Suppliers, where over Rs 2.68 crore was illegally redirected. He had also dispersed the money to multiple other accounts besides making withdrawals for himself. The accused attempted to evade arrest by switching off his mobile phone and hiding in an area known for Maoist activity.

The EOW, aided by local police and CAPF, apprehended him. Investigations revealed that PT Constructions & Suppliers, supposedly based in Raipur, was a front solely for fraudulent activities. The accused is linked to a larger syndicate operating across Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Jharkhand, West Bengal, and Odisha, executing such scams for at least four years. Their methods involve sophisticated tactics like cheque cloning, multi-layered money transfers, creation of multiple bank accounts, fund withdrawals, extensive information networks, and involvement of local agents.

The ongoing investigation has uncovered crucial leads that may help trace other members of the syndicate, including the mastermind behind these operations.