BERHAMPUR: Gosaninuagaon police on Saturday arrested two officials of Berhampur central cooperative bank (BCCB) for their alleged involvement in Rs 1.46 crore loan fraud.
The accused are Debasish Pattnaik (40) of Berhampur and Truptirekha Mohapatra (22) of Mayurbhanj district. Pattnaik and Mohapatra were working as manager and supervisor at Bijipur branch of BCCB respectively since 2022.
Sources said bank authorities found that over Rs 1.46 crore were misappropriated during an audit at the branch recently. After verification, three staff of the branch including the accused duo were placed under suspension.
On the day, chief executive officer (CEO) of BCCB Bharat Chandra Sahu lodged a complaint with police accusing Pattnaik, Mohapatra and cashier Ajit Sahu of fraudulently taking loans in the name of customers and transferring the amount to their own accounts.
Sahu alleged that approximately Rs 1,46,46,000 have been misappropriated through different loans which were disbursed without any document. It was found that funds were deposited and withdrawn from different accounts of customers without any voucher. Funds were also routed through the account of Pattnaik’s wife Mamata Manghwani, he claimed.
Berhampur SP Saravana Vivek M said Pattnaik and Mohapatra were arrested under sections 61 (2), 318 (4), 316 (4), 316 (5) and 317 (5) of BNS. All documents relating to the loan fraud have been seized. The accused duo was produced in court. Efforts are underway to nab the third accused who is on the run. Further investigation is underway, he added.