A special Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) court in Lucknow has handed down three years of imprisonment and a total fine of Rs 3.4 lakh to five individuals, including a senior bank official, in connection with a bank fraud case linked to Kanpur. The convicted individuals are Naresh Chander Bhardwaj, a former Senior Manager at the Bank of India’s Lal Bangla branch in Kanpur, along with Sadhna Dixit, Ram Ji Shukla, Jitendra Srivastava, and Prem Prakash. The judgment was delivered by the court of Special Judge, CBI Court (Central), Lucknow, on March 31, following a detailed trial spanning several years.
The case, dating back to January 11, 2008, originated from an FIR registered by the CBI based on a complaint from the Zonal Manager of Bank of India, Kanpur Zone, alleging significant irregularities and fraudulent loan sanctions at the Lal Bangla branch. Investigations revealed that Bhardwaj, during his tenure as Senior Manager from July 17, 2006, to October 26, 2006, engaged in a criminal conspiracy with co-accused individuals, including Vikram Dixit, to fraudulently process and approve three loans—housing, overdraft mortgage, and auto finance loans.
The CBI contended that these loans were approved in the names of fictitious or pseudonymous borrowers using falsified documents, leading to a wrongful loss of around Rs 41.50 lakh to the Bank of India while benefiting the accused. Subsequently, on April 26, 2010, the CBI filed a charge sheet against the accused under relevant sections related to criminal conspiracy, cheating, and forgery. After a thorough review of evidence and arguments from both sides, the court found the accused guilty and sentenced each of them to three years of rigorous imprisonment, coupled with fines.
This conviction highlights the CBI’s persistent endeavors to prosecute individuals involved in financial fraud and corruption within banking institutions.
