The Panvel police has registered an FIR against 76 office-bearers of Panvel-based Karnala Nagari Sahakari Bank, including its chairman and former MLA Vivekanand Patil, for misuse of ₹512.54 crore deposits under the pretext of loan disbursements.
The vice-chairman, CEO and board of directors of the bank are also among those who have been booked.
The police was acting on a complaint by Raigad district special auditor Umesh Tupe, who scrutinised the bank’s accounts of the last four months.
“According to the audit report, there are discrepancies in the documentary evidence of disbursed loans. The report hints at manipulation and forgery of disbursement of loans since 2008. Of the 76 accused, 62 are loanees to whom the loans were disbursed without surety following which the amounts were allegedly transferred to a trust run by chairman Mr. Patil,” said Shatrughn Mali police inspector from Panvel City police station.
“Due to the huge sums of money involved, it will be transferred to the Economic Offences Wing. Some of the accused have said they were not aware of what was happening with their bank accounts. Further investigations would reveal the truth,” said Ashok Dudhe, deputy commissioner of police, Zone II.
For the past few months BJP leaders Prashant Thakur (MLA) and Kirit Somaiyya were warning about the ongoing fraud in the bank, which led to huge protests by the account holders. The fear of losing their money led several account holders to withdraw their savings, leading to a major crisis, following which the bank had to restrict the withdrawals.
The accused have been booked for cheating, breach of trust, forgery, fraudulent cancellation or destruction of valuable document, causing disappearance of evidence and criminal conspiracy under IPC and relevant sections under the Maharashtra Protection of Interest of Depositors Act.
