Mullanpur bank fraud: Banker took ₹40 lakh from father before disappearing

The banker duped his father of the money on the pretext of buying a house; apologised to him for “big mistake” before turning off his phone, said Mohali police

The manager of Axis Bank in Bansepur, Mullanpur, who is on the run after allegedly stealing crores from customers’ accounts, also took ₹40 lakh from his father under the guise of buying a house before disappearing, police said on Friday.

During probe, father of the accused, Gaurav, 35, originally from Pathankot, revealed that his son’s fraudulent activities began at home. (HT Photo)

During probe, father of the accused, Gaurav, 35, originally from Pathankot, revealed that his son’s fraudulent activities began at home. He shared that he wanted to invest in a property, for which he took ₹40 lakh from him. On Wednesday, Gaurav called him over the phone, apologising for his “big mistake” before turning off his mobile phone, the father told the police, who are in pursuit of the bank manager.

Inspector Simranjit Singh, SHO of the Mullanpur police station, stated, “Our teams are conducting raids at locations where he could potentially be hiding. The extent of the fraud might go up as additional complaints come in. We are investigating the matter actively.”

Police conducted a search at his residence and discovered his passport, which expired in November 2023. Police speculate that since he has not renewed the passport, the likelihood of him fleeing abroad is low. There is suspicion that the bank manager may have escaped to Nepal, possibly with his Nepalese cook, Rajesh, who is also missing.

Police get four days to quiz cashier

On Thursday, police arrested the bank’s cashier, Sujeet Kumar, 30, suspecting his involvement with the main accused. The cashier, hailing from Himachal Pradesh (HP) and residing on the Panjab University campus in Chandigarh with a relative, was taken into custody directly from the bank. He was produced before a court that sent him to four-day police custody.

During the course of investigation, bank officials raised suspicion on Kumar for helping the bank manager orchestrate the multi-crore fraud.

Responding to the complaint lodged by Vikas Sood, the interim manager of the said bank, police have booked both Kumar and Gaurav under Sections 409 (criminal breach of trust by a public servant), 381 (theft by a clerk or servant) and 120-B (criminal conspiracy) of the Indian Penal Code at the Mullanpur police station.

Police have so far received 25 complaints from bank customers alleging that the manager embezzled ₹9 crore from their accounts. Bank officials are gathering written applications from complainants to confirm the exact amount stolen before forwarding cases to the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) for retrieval.