SAMBALPUR: Sambalpur Police is investigating into involvement of more officials of State Bank of Indian (SBI), main branch, in the seizure of Rs 1.43 crore including `85,62,00 in new currency notes. The case, though, has already been handed over to the Enforcement Directorate.
Five persons were arrested including country liquor baron Zeeyarat Ali, his sons Kapil Jhajharia and Rabi Trivedi besides relationship manager of SBI, main branch, Rashmi Ranjan Rout and his brother Pankaj Kumar Rout for their involvement in the fraud.
Police believe that more SBI officials could be involved in the fraud and Rout could have facilitated the deal for a cut. Subsequently, police asked the SBI to move the Reserve Bank of India and obtain details of the seized new currency notes based on the serial number printed on them to track down the originating bank. The new `2,000 currency notes that amounted to `six lakh belonged to the same series. Zeyarat Ali, who owned the cash, had told police that Rout had exchanged old currencies of `45 lakh for them against payment of commission.
Sources said the chief manager of SBI, main branch, Ashwini Kumar Das was grilled by police for three hours recently and he failed to provide satisfactory answers. However, Das reportedly informed that the RBI has sent information pertaining to the issue of new currency notes. He further said that 80 per cent of the seized new notes had been sent to the main branch. Police are looking at involvement of officials of other banks from where the balance of `20 lakhs was brought.