KOCHI: CBI has taken over the probe against a clerk of Canara Bank who allegedly diverted over Rs 8 crore from the accounts of customers between 2019 and 2021. The case was taken over by the CBI Anti-Corruption Unit, Kochi, following the request of the state government.
The case was first registered at Pathanamthitta police station following a complaint lodged by assistant manager Santhosh Visakhan of Canara Bank Branch-2, Pathanamthitta, against clerk Vijesh Varghese, a native of Kollam. The incident came to light after the accused transferred an amount of Rs 9.7 lakh of Mercy Thomas, a customer, to his account in IndusInd Bank, on January 6, 2021.
When the transaction came to the notice of bank authorities, the accused transferred Rs 10 lakh to the account of Mercy Thomas on February 11, 2021. This prompted bank officials to lodge a police complaint and conduct an interim audit.
The interim audit report revealed that the accused had done 191 deceptive transactions and transferred a sum of Rs 8.13 crore to his account and also of his relatives in different banks in Kochi, Pathanamthitta, Kunnikode, and Kottarakara since December 6, 2019. The interim report found that the act of the accused caused a loss of Rs 7.94 crore to Canara Bank.
In May 2021, the case was transferred to the crime branch. “For the transactions, the accused obtained the digital approval of branch assistant managers from their respective computer systems without their knowledge and thereby committed criminal breach of trust and a huge financial loss to Canara Bank,” stated the FIR filed by the CBI.
After the police registered a case against Vijeesh, he went absconding. His car was traced at the parking lot of Olive Wood Stock Apartment, Kaloor, Kochi. While analysing the call data records of the accused, the crime branch found some numbers suspicious.
Later, tracking a mobile number, the police team reached Bengaluru and arrested him from an apartment on May 16, 2021. Crime branch also recovered PAN card, Aadhaar card, and Election ID cards in the name of Anitha Prajan, Vikas Kumar, and Sayed Vasim Akram which he had used to open bank accounts and procure SIM cards.
“The actual amount obtained by the accused through deception can be known only after receiving the bank’s complete audit report. We will be able to find out where the accused deposited the money, and also whether anyone else helped him commit the crime. His savings in other financial institutions also have to be traced. It is also to be probed whether the TATA Harrier car used by him was bought with the money obtained through fraud. His other investments are also under scrutiny,” a CBI official said.
Emmanual Angel, Inspector, CBI Kochi, was tasked by Shiyas A, DIG, CBI, to investigate the case. The FIR of the case was submitted in the court last week. CBI will initiate procedures to interrogate the accused and those associated with him soon.