CBI initiates probe into bank employee for alleged bribery in mutual fund payout

A corruption investigation has been launched against a public sector bank employee in Raigad for allegedly demanding a bribe of ₹1.2 lakh. The employee is accused of soliciting a bribe to transfer ₹10 lakh from a deceased retired state transport department employee's mutual fund policy to the account of the deceased's wife. The CBI has registered a First Information Report and is investigating the case.

Mumbai: A corruption investigation was launched against Mukesh Kumar, an employee of a public sector bank in Raigad. The case revolves around an alleged demand for a bribe of ₹1.2 lakh from the family of a deceased retired state transport department employee, Suresh Thakur. Thakur’s daughter filed a complaint with the CBI, accusing Kumar of soliciting a bribe to transfer around ₹10 lakh, the redemption funds from her father’s matured mutual fund policy, to her mother’s bank account.

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As per the complaint received on December 12, It was alleged that Kumar told the complainant that the Senior Citizen Account in the name of her father had matured and the matured amount of ₹10 lakh is to be deposited in the account of her mother as she is the nominee for the said account. During the telephonic conversation on December 11, Kumar allegedly asked the complainant to meet him in the bank along with her mother. He demanded ₹25,000 as a bribe for transferring the matured amount in the account of her mother. The complainant’s mother received the pension after the demise of her father. The allegation levelled in the complaint was discreetly verified in the presence of independent witnesses by the CBI.

The CBI later learned that Kumar allegedly had also informed the complainant that the current value of the mutual - fund policy was ₹10.9 lakh and that he would arrange to redeem ₹90,000 from the said policy and transfer it to the savings account of her mother. Kumar allegedly also told the complainant that he would further arrange for a systematic withdrawal plan so that an interest of ₹6,500 per month would be automatically deposited in the savings account of the complainant’s mother every month.

“The accused influenced the complainant not to reveal these details to her mother and demanded ₹1.20 lakh for the said facilities and he also offered ₹20,000 to the complainant for this act,” said a CBI source. Further, on negotiation, Kumar also allegedly agreed to accept a part-payment of ₹30,000 on December 15 out of the total bribe amount and that the remaining amount would be accepted after the completion of the redemption of ₹90,000, the source said.

The facts allegedly disclosed the commission of an offence punishable under 7 of the Prevention of Corruption Act (public servant taking gratification other than legal remuneration in respect of an official act) against the accused and is being probed by the CBI. The CBI registered a First Information Report on December 14 against the accused.