In a major breakthrough, Faridkot police arrested Amit Dhingra, the main accused in a Rs14-crore banking fraud that affected over 180 customers of the State Bank of India (Sadiq branch). Dhingra was produced before a duty magistrate today, a day after his arrest from Vrindavan, Mathura.
The fraud came to light after numerous complaints regarding suspicious activity in fixed deposits and Kisan Credit Limit (KCC) accounts. An FIR was registered on July 21 under Sections 318(4), 316(2), and 344 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), based on a complaint from SBI Deputy Manager Shashank Shekhar Arora. A Look-Out Circular (LOC) was also issued against Dhingra.
Working as a clerk at the branch for nearly 15 years, Dhingra allegedly misused his access and personal rapport with customers to manipulate account details, forge fixed deposit slips, and divert large sums to private accounts. As of now, 186 formal complaints have been filed.
Police also arrested Rupinder Kaur, Dhingra’s wife and an LIC employee, on July 24 after suspicious transactions worth Rs2.3 crore were found in her account. She was allegedly preparing to flee the country.
Dhingra was tracked down after sustained efforts and arrested on July 30 with support from local police. He reportedly threatened self-harm during the arrest but was safely taken into custody. Dr. Pragya Jain, SSP, Faridkot, confirmed that further interrogations may uncover more information.
For victims like Jaswinder Singh and Boota Singh from Kauni village, the arrest brought relief. Jaswinder said over Rs1 crore was siphoned from his family’s accounts, and Boota Singh reported losses from both his and his mother’s accounts.
In response, SBI has formed a special internal probe team led by AGM Praveen Soni to investigate affected accounts and initiate recovery procedures. Authorities expect more victims and larger amounts to surface as the inquiry deepens.
