Police in Betul have uncovered a 1.5 crore rupee banking fraud at the Morkha branch of Bank of Maharashtra, where living customers were officially recorded as dead to siphon off their deposits. Investigators revealed that forged death certificates were submitted to prematurely liquidate fixed deposits, after which the siphoned money was moved through digital channels to third-party accounts. Acting on formal complaints, the Bordehi police arrested three individuals in connection with the crime: the branch assistant manager, a local taxi driver, and a 15-year-old boy.
Minor Kiosk Operator Identified as Key Conspirator
According to Betul Superintendent of Police Virendra Jain, the 15-year-old minor orchestrated the fraudulent operation. Operating an online kiosk centre in close proximity to the branch, the boy visited the premises regularly and discreetly identified high-balance accounts and fixed deposit details belonging to prominent customers. He subsequently cultivated a connection with the bank’s assistant manager, Lukesh Gokhe, securing direct access to institutional credentials.
Using the assistant manager’s official login identity, the accused altered the registered mobile phone numbers of target accounts on roughly ten occasions between January 2026 and the time of their arrest. Once the phone numbers were swapped, authentication alerts were effectively diverted away from the real account holders. The conspirators then prepared forged death certificates, declared the living customers deceased on official records, prematurely closed high-value fixed deposits, and routed the funds through net banking channels.
Funds Diverted to Driver’s Account to Conceal Embezzlement
A primary destination for the stolen money was the bank account of Gaurav Suryavanshi, a taxi driver who was arrested as the third accomplice. Police discovered 1.25 crore rupees from the embezzlement sitting in his personal account and immediately ordered the balance frozen. Investigators noted that whenever an alert customer arrived at the bank to question an unexpected debit, the perpetrators promptly re-deposited the missing amount into the victim’s balance to dispel immediate suspicion and prevent police intervention.
The scheme began unravelling when an unauthorised withdrawal took place against the savings of a retired schoolteacher, prompting formal inquiries. Similar illegal withdrawals soon surfaced across multiple accounts, including 4.86 lakh rupees taken from Jyoti Raghuvanshi, 2.74 lakh rupees from Phoolwanti, 1.85 lakh rupees from Indresh Raghuvanshi, 5.50 lakh rupees from Bhojraj Soni, and 1.55 lakh rupees from Ragini Sahu. While six customers have registered formal first information reports so far, authorities are examining records to identify the total number of affected depositors.
Management Inaction Followed by Police Seizures
The case exposed internal administrative lapses, as branch-level irregularities had already led the bank management to suspend Assistant Manager Lukesh Gokhe. Despite the regional administration having full knowledge of the misconduct, no formal police complaint was filed by the institution itself. Law enforcement authorities initiated legal proceedings only after aggrieved account holders approached the Bordehi police station directly.
On 24 October, investigators formally detained all three accused individuals and seized assets valued at 22.33 lakh rupees. The confiscations included six mobile handsets, gold jewellery valued at 8.28 lakh rupees, silver items worth 1.40 lakh rupees, and a four-wheeler valued at 12 lakh rupees. Law enforcement officers are currently tracing further bank accounts, transaction trails, and physical properties linked to the accused trio to recover the remaining siphoned capital.
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