E-Paper
Bank GM?s con game in Hiralal?s name
THE GENERAL Manager Nothern Railway Primary Cooperative Bank (NRPCB) is alleged to have transacted lakhs of rupees by forging signature of one Hiralal who never had an account in the bank. Hiralal is a temple caretaker, who has been oblivious to the fact that a savings bank account is being run in his name. However, GM Vijay Kumar Srivastava outright denied the allegation and said, ?I have never forged any signature.
THE GENERAL Manager Nothern Railway Primary Cooperative Bank (NRPCB) is alleged to have transacted lakhs of rupees by forging signature of one Hiralal who never had an account in the bank.
Hiralal is a temple caretaker, who has been oblivious to the fact that a savings bank account is being run in his name.
However, GM Vijay Kumar Srivastava outright denied the allegation and said, “I have never forged any signature. It’s the account holder’s signature.” But, bank sources allege that the GM himself had forged the signatures and carried out transactions in Hiralal’s name.
The benami saving account number 48305 is operational in the bank with the residential address as vague as — Hiralal, Uttar Dhonna, P.O. Juggaur. HT Ucknow Live traced out Hiralal in a non-descript temple in Tiwariganj on Faizabad Road. “Neither do I have a savings account with the bank (NRPC Bank) nor did I give permission to anybody to click my photos,” he categorically stated.
The account was opened in violation of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) norm, which says that a new customer should have a PAN to open an account with an amount more than Rs 50,000 or more and there was no address proof or verified address in the application.
The records reveal that the General Manager himself had introduced Hiralal.
The account number 48305 was opened on March 6, 2006. In a span of 14 days, over Rs 8.5 lakh was deposited in the account.
The details of the transactions undertaken are: Rs 1,00000 on March 8, Rs 6.5 lakh on March 9, Rs 23,500 on March 11, and Rs 50,000 on March 22.
Surprisingly, the amount from Hiralal was then transferred to the account number 48046 in the name of Mamta Srivastava, wife of Vijay Kumar Srivastava on April 12, 2006.
The GM said the savings account of Hiralal was legal and had a balance of Rs 300 only. He said initially, Hiralal was ready to sell his agri-land 1.5 acres adjacent to the City Academy, an educational institution, which is owned by the GM himself and family. “And it was for this deal that Rs 8,23500 was deposited in Hiralal’s account,” said the GM. If the owner of the land is to be believed, the cost of the land was estimated at Rs 60 lakh.
“In case the deal fizzles out, I had taken two signed withdrawal slips from Hiralal and transferred the money to the account of my wife,” said the GM. As regards the amount being deposited in parts, he said that the money was deposited as per convenience.
“I am already pre-occupied with so much that I cannot devote much time to the bank activities,” said DRM (NR) R K Gupta. However, he said all possible steps would be taken to see that no irregularities take place in the bank.
