Bhubaneswar: Two persons were on Tuesday sentenced to rigorous imprisonment for seven years by a designated court in Odisha’s Balasore for committing bank fraud of Rs 1.32 crore by using forged documents to withdraw pension money of dead pensioners.

The order was pronounced by a designated court under Odisha Protection of Interests of Depositors (in Financial Establishments) Act in a case of the Economic Offences Wing (EOW) of the state police.

The EOW had registered a case on the allegation of Swaraj Mohanty, Senior Branch Manager of Bank of India, Remuna Branch, Balasore, against Pravat Das, Ex-Business Correspondent of the bank for dishonestly falsifying/forging the pension accounts of two dead persons – Parsuram Giri and Sabitri Behera. A total of Rs 1.32 crore was misappropriated by using their pension accounts, EOW said in a press note.

It was revealed on investigation that Pravat Das was rendering assistance to the bank employees in the matter of preparation of pension payment figure of pensioners and uploading the files for receiving the pension from the state government.

He dishonestly and in conspiracy with others had entered wrong and excessive amount of pension in the pension account of Parsuram Giri and Sabitri Behera, knowing well that the pensioners are dead since 27.12.2014 and 22.03.2014 respectively. Pravat Das falsified two pension accounts and committed forgery by adding higher amount of pension in the pension accounts.

He illegally enhanced the figure of pension and withdrew the same by using the ATM cards those he managed to obtain even after the death of the pension holders. As found, Pravat Kumar Das misappropriated Rs 65 lakh in the pension account of deceased Parsuram Giri and Rs 67 lakh in the pension account of deceased Sabitri Behera. Thus, the total amount of misappropriation in the bank fraud was Rs 1.32 crore.

Further, it was revealed on investigation that Brahmajyoti Behera, son of deceased Sabitri Behera and a friend of Pravat Das, in connivance with Pravat Das and Ex-Branch Manager Durga Charan Panda, managed to obtain ATM card in the name of her deceased mother on 26.04.2014 whereas his mother has died on 22.03.2014.

He withdrew about Rs 66,35,793/- from the pension account by using the ATM card. Some amount has been transferred from the personal account of Brahmajyoti Behera to Pravat Das. Durga Charan Panda, the then Branch Manager of BOI, Remuna Branch in connivance with BC Pravat Das and Brahmajyoti Behera had issued the ATM cards in the name of Sabitri Behera and Parsuram Giri knowing well that they are dead.

The ATM card has been received by Brahmajyoti Behera. The ATM cards issued deliberately after the death of the pensioners were used to withdraw the pension amount that has been falsely enhanced by the trio pursuant to the conspiracy. The pension amount of Parsuram Giri was fraudulently enhanced from Rs.10,542/- to Rs.1,90,542/- and that of Sabitri Behera was enhanced from 8,400/- to 70,894/-. The enhanced pension amount that to in the name of dead persons was withdrawn till October’ 2018. The fraud was committed without obtaining the yearly live certificate of the pensioners.

The Designated Court under OPID Act, held the accused persons Pravat Das and Brahmajyoti Behera guilty U/s 419/420/467/468/471/120-B IPC r.w Sec.66 (C) & 66 (D) of IT Act and sentenced them to undergo rigorous imprisonment (RI) for seven years and to pay fine of Rs 3.75 lakh each.

On default of fine both the accused person in the bank fraud case they will undergo further imprisonment of 1 year each.

The trial against Durga Charan Panda has been split up and NBW has been issued against him by the court.

Pranab Kumar Panda, Spl. PP, OPID Court, Balasore was conducting the prosecution. During trial, 519 documents, 170 exhibits, 10 MOs and 18 witnesses were relied upon.

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