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5 more arrested in irregularities in Bagalkote tourism department case
With the arrest of five more accused by the Central Economic Crimes (CEN) police on Wednesday the total number of people held in the case stands at 19
Five people have been arrested in the case related to the illegal transfer of over ₹2.47 crore from the Bagalkote tourism department, a police officer said.
With the arrest of five more accused by the Central Economic Crimes (CEN) police on Wednesday the total number of people held in the case stands at 19. The case is set to be handed over to the Crime Investigation Department (CID) for further investigation, according to officials familiar with the matter.
Bagalkote CEN police inspector M Naga Reddy said that a case was registered on July 11 following a complaint by tourism officers. The accused have been charged under Indian Penal Code and have been remanded to judicial custody.
The investigation is ongoing, and further revelations are anticipated.
The case, spanning from 2021 to 2024, involved illegal transfers to 33 accounts across 54 transactions. The key names involved in the case include Suraj Sagara, a contract sales executive at Bagalkote IDBI Bank, and several bank employees: assistant managers Nisha and Saraswati, public relations officer Vidyadhara Hiremath, and loan department assistant manager Rohit. Besides, 14 people who deposited money into these accounts have also been arrested.
The modus operandi in the case involved account holders depositing funds in return for commissions ranging from 30% to 50%. These funds were then diverted by Suraj Sagara and other bank staff, who illicitly redistributed the money.
The arrested suspects are being interrogated to uncover further details, one of the officials said.
The investigation into the case have revealed that the fraudulent activities extended beyond the tourism department, affecting multiple departments.
The total fraud detected has now reached ₹6 crore, including ₹79.75 lakh from the minority welfare department, ₹86.40 lakh from the panchayat raj engineering department, ₹18.15 lakh from the handloom and textile department, and ₹1.76 crore from the backward class welfare department.
