Amid growing pressure from multiple reports of financial misconduct, the Curchorem police have arrested Ananda Jadhav, the branch manager of a nationalized bank, in connection with the fraudulent issuance of fixed deposit receipts and the theft of funds from elderly customers. Jadhav, a native of Satara, Maharashtra, has been accused of conspiring with Tanvi Vast, who was arrested the day before, to siphon off over Rs 60 lakh from the victims’ accounts.
The arrests were made after four victims came forward with complaints. The stolen funds not only included large sums of money but also gold ornaments that had been entrusted to the bank’s safe deposit lockers for safekeeping. Investigations revealed that Vast, employed at Vision India Services, had persuaded elderly customers to make fixed deposits with the bank. She then allegedly used their SIM cards and OTPs to transfer the funds into her own account.
Further reports suggest that some of the victims were handed fraudulent, handwritten fixed deposit receipts that were not recorded in the bank’s system, leaving them with no evidence of their investments. One woman also reported that her gold ornaments were replaced with fake replicas when she visited the bank to retrieve them from her locker.
Initially, many victims were hesitant to file complaints, as Vast had convinced them that their money would be returned if they refrained from involving the police. However, after learning about the fraudulent activities, the victims began coming forward, resulting in the police taking action.
The incident, which has sent shockwaves through the Curchorem community, has raised concerns about the safety of elderly citizens’ investments in nationalized banks. Local authorities have assured the victims that they will do everything possible to recover the lost funds and valuables.
