The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has attached two immovable properties in Jharkhand and Bihar, valued at Rs 97.92 lakh, linked to a former State Bank of India (SBI) Branch Manager. The properties, a residential house in Sahebganj, Jharkhand, and a flat in Patna, Bihar, were owned by Manoj Kumar, the ex-Branch Manager. The ED took this action under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002.
The ED’s Ranchi Zonal Office made the attachment following investigations into a Rs 5.4 crore fraud case involving inactive accounts of deceased pensioners. The probe was initiated based on FIRs and charge sheets filed by various agencies, including the CBI, ACB, Dhanbad, and Shikaripara Police Station. The offenses include criminal conspiracy, cheating, forgery, and criminal misconduct by a public servant.
Manoj Kumar, during his tenure at different SBI branches, allegedly orchestrated a significant financial fraud by misusing his official position. The fraudulent activities involved unauthorized debit transactions from accounts of vulnerable customers, such as deceased or inactive pensioners and Kisan Credit Card (KCC) loanees. The diverted funds were funneled through intermediary accounts, NGOs, and shell entities to conceal the money trail, with the total “Proceeds of Crime” amounting to Rs 5.4 crore.
