Rajasthan Police have apprehended Amit Jangid, the primary suspect in the Rs 6.50 crore gold loan fraud at the Punjab National Bank (PNB) Nawalgarh branch in Jhunjhunu district. Jangid, who was the bank manager during the fraudulent activity, was captured near Mathura railway station in Uttar Pradesh. The accused tried to escape from custody, but law enforcement officers pursued and detained him before he could flee.
The scam was uncovered on February 3, leading to the filing of an FIR against Amit Jangid, another official named Santosh Kumar Saini, and Deputy Manager Anantprakash Chaudhary. Santosh Saini has also been arrested in connection with the case. Initial investigations suggest that the fraud was carried out through the collaboration of Jangid and Saini. Following the revelation of the scam, Amit Jangid went into hiding.
A missing person report was lodged by his wife on February 5, reporting his disappearance after the incident. The current branch manager, Mukesh Sihag, mentioned in his complaint that the gold pledged against loans was secured in the bank’s gold safe. During the handover of the gold strong room to Deputy Manager Seema Mahla on January 28, discrepancies were noticed.
Previously, the strong room keys were held by the then manager Amit Jangid and Deputy Manager Anantprakash Chaudhary. An internal investigation was initiated after bank officials detected tampering with gold packets during the verification process. The inquiry disclosed that genuine gold jewelry from 73 packets had been substituted with counterfeit ornaments, and the weight of jewelry in three packets was significantly lower.
The bank’s estimation indicates that approximately 4.198 kilograms of gold jewelry, valued at around Rs 6.50 crore, was absent from the strong room. The police are actively investigating to establish the specific involvement of each suspect and locate the missing gold. Additional arrests are anticipated as the investigation advances.
