GAJRAULA (AMROHA): A branch manager and a field officer of Punjab National Bank are among four persons booked for allegedly fabricating an Income Tax Return in the name of a local villager and taking out a home loan of Rs 10 lakh, police said. The alleged fraud came to light after the complainant received a recovery notice from the bank demanding payment for the outstanding dues. Following a complaint by the affected villager, police registered a case against all four accused and initiated a formal probe into the matter.
Signatures Taken Under Pretext of Securing Loan
According to Harvendra Singh, a resident of Sultanpur Maulvi within the local police station limits, two men identified as Pradeep Kumar and Arun Agarwal, residents of Khaikheda, had approached him with an offer to arrange a bank loan from PNB. Despite his refusal to file an Income Tax Return, the duo persuaded him to sign several documents. After taking his signatures on the paperwork, they told him that his loan could not be approved and sent him back home.
Fraud Unravels After Bank Issues Recovery Notice
The complainant alleged that Pradeep Kumar and Arun Agarwal acted in collusion with Midheed Parashar, the branch manager of PNB’s Chaupla branch, and field officer Rajkumari. Together, they allegedly prepared a forged ITR in his name and disbursed a home loan worth Rs 10 lakh. Harvendra Singh learned about the loan only when a formal notice arrived at his doorstep from the bank. When he confronted the accused individuals regarding the fraudulent borrowing, they allegedly threatened him and demanded that he deposit the money himself. The victim also submitted a written grievance to the branch manager, but no corrective action was initiated.
Police Register Case Against Four Accused
Left with no recourse, the complainant approached law enforcement authorities for intervention. Circle Officer Anjali Kataria stated that an FIR has been registered against the branch manager, the field officer, and the two middlemen based on the written complaint submitted by the victim. Police officials confirmed that the entire sequence of document verification and loan sanctioning is under scrutiny, and appropriate legal action will be taken based on the findings of the investigation.
Follow for daily updates on cybercrime, corporate fraud, DFIR, hacking, investigations, and digital forensics
