Ludhiana: Bankers fraudulently withdraw ₹14 lakh from NRI’s account, booked

The bankers had forged the NRI’s signature and withdrawn ₹14.20 lakh using three cheques; case lodged after five months of investigation

Four bank employees have been booked for allegedly withdrawing ₹14.20 lakh from the account of an NRI by forging his signature.

They bankers were booked on charges of criminal breach of trust, after five months of investigation. The NRI had noticed that cash had been withdrawn from his account and alerted a relative in Ludhiana. (HT File)

They have been identified as Pawandeep Kaur of New Rajguru Nagar of Ludhiana, Abhishek Walia of Hari Singh Nalwa Chowk of Raikot, Ankita of Mohalla Avtar Nagar of Jalandhar and Deepak Bhatt of Dehradun. All four work at the ICICI Bank’s main road branch in Jagraon.

They were booked on charges of criminal breach of trust, after five months of investigation.

Complainant Mahinder Singh of Kothe Sherjung road of Jagraon said, his relative Ramneek Toor, who is an NRI, had noticed withdrawal of ₹14.20 lakh from his bank account through cheques and requested him to look into it.

On June 16, Mahinder made a police complaint regarding the bank fraud, following which an inquiry was marked.

Assistant sub-inspector (ASI) Surjit Singh, the investigating officer, said during investigation, police found that the then deputy branch manager Abhishek Walia, cashier Ankita, clerk Deepak Bhatt and Pawandeep Kaur, an employee of ICICI prudential life insurance, had managed to issue a cheque book in the name of Ramneek Toor. Later, they forged the signature of the account holder and withdrew ₹14.20 lakhs using three cheques.