RANCHI: In an unfortunate incident, a bank manager died by suicide allegedly for being harassed regularly by police in the name of investigation even after being given a clean chit by the CBI in a loan fraud case involving approximately Rs 4 crores.
Calling himself an honest, upright and innocent person in the suicide note left by him, he has held Jharkhand police and bank officials responsible for this extreme step taken by him under severe mental stress and trauma.
The Bank Manager Supriyo Majumdar died by suicide by hanging himself at his Ranchi-based residence on Sunday. Family members have also held the police and bank officials responsible for his death as he was being harassed regularly and sought justice from Chief Minister Hemant Soren.
The deceased’s sister alleged that it is not a suicide but a murder as he was compelled to end his life.
“My question is directed to the Ramgarh police as to how could they harass anybody who has already been given a clean chit by the CBI. Who has given them the right to interrogate a person if he was given a clean chit by CBI?”
She also requested CM Hemant Soren to come forward so that such an instance does not happen again anywhere in Jharkhand, further adding that, her brother even did not get any support from the bank officials.
The suicide note left by Majumdar suggests that he ended his life after Jharkhand police officials in Ramgarh in connivance with the senior manager (credit), BK Singh, and chief manager and branch head, Prafulla Kumar Behra, started a parallel investigation in the case and mounted undue pressure on him to give his statement before the police though he had helped the CBI collecting vital evidence in a loan fraud case.
According to family members, after clearing the Bank PO exam, he joined the Ramgarh Branch of Bank of India where a financial misapplication was done in disbursing a loan for 15 tankers in which his signature was taken forcefully.
“Since the matter involved several crores, the case was referred to CBI, which, after primary interrogation gave him a clean chit and made him a government witness in the case,” said a family friend Rajeev Ranjan. Later, he was given ‘best performer’ award and posted in Ranchi along with a promotion, he added.
According to Ranjan, on Friday they had gone to Ramgarh police and showed the documents in which he was given a clean chit by CBI. The officer in charge asked them to go to the SP and when they reached his place, he was not there. They also went to the DSP but could not meet him, he said.
“A phone call was received from the Ramgarh police station asking them to come again on Monday, but on Sunday evening he ended his life under intense pressure,” Ranjan said.
Ramgarh SP, however, has assured that proper action will be taken if anybody is found guilty in the case.
“It has been alleged in the suicide note and by family members that the deceased was harassed by the police officials,” said Ramgarh SP Piyush Kumar Pandey.
Proper investigation will be done after registering an FIR in the case, said the SP, adding that they are waiting for a formal complaint in this regard.
“The banker was issued notice under section 41A of CrPC on August 12. Prior to this, the police neither talked to him nor met him,” said the SP.