The branch manager of the Indian Bank branch in Bengaluru’s Hanumanthanagar was recently arrested for allegedly diverting Rs 5.7 crore to his girlfriend whom he met on a dating app. The police have also named his colleagues as suspects in an FIR.
The bank revealed that the funds were diverted to 28 bank accounts of several banks in West Bengal and two accounts in Karnataka in 136 transactions. During the interrogation, the manager claimed that he lost the money to cybercriminals who lured him to use a dating application and the police are verifying his claims.
The police said that a woman customer deposited Rs 1.3 crore in her name as a Fixed Deposit and availed Rs 75 lakh loan against her deposit. The customer submitted the relevant documents but the accused officials allegedly meddled with the documents and used them as security to release Rs 5.7 crore through multiple installments as overdraft.
The probe also revealed that the manager’s personal money amounting to Rs 12.5 lakh was also transferred to the accounts and later these transactions took place. An officer said, “Being a bank manager and aware of cyber frauds, we do not believe his claims. We have collected his mobile phone and will probe further.”
