Ex-manager of Dena Bank, three others convicted for ₹50-lakh fraud

A former chief manager of the bank, Praful Mishra, is sentenced to rigorous imprisonment for four years

Mumbai: The special CBI court on Monday sentenced four men, including a former manager of Dena Bank, up to five years imprisonment for availing overdraft facility to the tune of ₹50 lakh by using forged Kisan Vikas Patra (KVP) and other documents in 2016-17.

(Hindustan Times Media)

A former chief manager of the bank, Praful Mishra, is sentenced to rigorous imprisonment for four years, while the prime accused in the case, Vijay Chaudhari, is sentenced to five years imprisonment. The other two accused -- Rajesh Dhanukar and Ganesh Kandu -- who helped Chaudhari, were sentenced to three and two years imprisonment, respectively. The special court acquitted two accused for want of sanction to prosecute them.

As per the CBI, Chaudhari with the help of the other accused submitted 141 KVP each of ₹50,000 as security and availed overdraft facility of ₹50 lakh from Dena Bank. His account later turned into a non-performing asset. Further, when the bank went to encash the KVP those were found to be forged. After this, the bank lodged a complaint based on which the CBI registered a case in 2017.

During the probe, it was revealed that Chaudhari opened the account in a fictitious name, Ajay R Patil, and had submitted all the documents in that name. The CBI alleged that he was granted an overdraft facility without verification of the documents. The central agency claimed that then bank manager Mishra ‘abused his official position and did not get lien marking of purported KVPs as per the guidelines of the bank’. The two were charged with criminal conspiracy, criminal breach of trust, forgery and cheating.

Dhanukar, who was arrested later, was said to be in touch with Mishra and he was the one who introduced Chaudhari to Mishra. The CBI said that he was closely connected with both. Another accused Kandu, the CBI said, had helped Chaudhari prepare all the forged documents in the name of Ajay R Patil which were later used to open the bank account and avail the overdraft facility.