Panchkula Police have arrested a bank manager in connection with a fraudulent scheme that duped a retired Major General of Rs 82.27 lakh. The accused, identified as Preetinder, was working as the manager at the HDFC Bank branch in Rupana village, Muktsar, Punjab.
The case began on October 22, when the victim, a Panchkula resident from Sector 20, filed a complaint alleging he had been scammed by fraudsters posing as IPS officers. The scammers accused him of money laundering and placed him under a ‘digital arrest’, demanding that he transfer money to a Surat-based bank account to resolve the issue.
According to Sukhwinder Singh, the investigating officer from Panchkula’s Cyber Crime Police Station, the victim complied with the demand and transferred the money to the specified account. The fraudsters quickly moved the funds to 70 different bank accounts, including one held at the HDFC branch in Rupana village, where it was withdrawn the same day.
The police traced the money trail, uncovering that the funds were encashed using three different cheques. CCTV footage from the HDFC bank revealed that an individual named Mukesh had cashed the cheques. Mukesh was subsequently arrested for his role in the fraud.
Further investigation revealed that an account under the name of Suman Rani, another individual involved in the fraud, was used to facilitate the transfer. When arrested, Suman Rani admitted to opening the account at the bank for a payment of Rs 5,000, claiming she had never visited the branch herself.
Police officials also uncovered that five additional fraudulent accounts had been opened at the same HDFC branch in Rupana village, with funds from other online scams being processed through these accounts.
Preetinder, the HDFC bank manager, was arrested for his involvement in facilitating the illegal encashment of the fraudulently acquired money. Police officials revealed that they had obtained Preetinder’s call records, which showed frequent contact with Mukesh, further implicating him in the scam.
As the investigation continues, authorities are working to uncover the full extent of the fraud and track the money trail to identify any other individuals involved. The police are also examining the possibility of more fraudulent accounts being opened at the bank.
