₹153-crore bank fraud: ED uncovers ₹100 crore assets in loan fraud probe, seizes ₹10 lakh in cash

The ED has seized assets worth ₹100 crore in a loan fraud case involving ₹152.9 crore, impacting over 150 farmers and Corporation Bank.

MUMBAI: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has unearthed assets worth over ₹100 crore, seized ₹10 lakh in cash and recovered several documents during searches linked to its probe into a ₹152.9 crore loan fraud that allegedly cheated the then public-sector Corporation Bank (now Union Bank of India) and more than 150 farmers.

₹153-crore bank fraud: ED uncovers ₹100 crore assets in loan fraud probe, seizes ₹10 lakh in cash

According to ED officials, the prime accused, Ramana Bolla and Nutan Singh, allegedly opened 212 loan accounts in the names of unsuspecting farmers after collecting Aadhaar and other documents from them under the pretext of helping them access government compensation for crop losses. Instead, the accounts were allegedly used to fraudulently obtain loans from the bank, which later turned into non-performing assets, inflicting losses on both the bank and the farmers.

On Friday, the agency carried out search operations at eight premises in Nagpur and Bhandara districts of Maharashtra and in Guntur district of Andhra Pradesh. The searches led to the recovery of property papers, digital devices, insurance policies, frozen bank balances and the identification of immovable assets exceeding ₹100 crore, the officials said.

The ED took up the probe on the basis of multiple FIRs registered by Maharashtra Police against Bolla, Singh and others under various sections of the IPC. Investigators found that Bolla, in conspiracy with a bank official, assistant manager SR Jangale at the Umarkhed branch in Yavatmal, got 158 accounts sanctioned with loans of ₹49–50 lakh each, with Bolla acting as guarantor. The loan proceeds, however, were allegedly siphoned off for personal use, turning into bad loans and causing losses of about ₹113 crore.

Similarly, Singh allegedly used the same modus operandi to obtain loans worth ₹25.07 crore against 54 accounts, for which he became guarantor. The diversion of funds in these accounts led to an additional loss of about ₹39.43 crore, including interest, to the bank.

The agency has alleged that the diverted amounts were utilised to purchase properties in the names of the accused, their family members and entities under their control, as well as to repay earlier debts of their other businesses.