Gurgaon, July 5, 2024 – In a significant crackdown on cybercrime, Gurgaon police have arrested a deputy manager of the State Bank of India (SBI) for allegedly colluding with cyber fraudsters. This marks the 15th arrest of a banker by the city police this year in connection with cybercrime cases.
Details of the Arrest
Rahul, a 35-year-old deputy manager at SBI’s Sector 17 branch, was arrested on Wednesday in a cheating case registered by the Cyber East police in February. The case was initiated after Pankaj Tomar, an IT employee, lodged a complaint alleging that unknown persons had defrauded him of ₹52.14 lakh by luring him to invest in the stock market through a fraudulent app.
Based on the complaint, Cyber East police registered a case under Section 420 of the IPC. During the investigation, the police discovered that ₹9 lakh from the defrauded amount had been transferred to a current account opened in the name of a proprietary firm, Kurla Ecom, based in Kamala Palace, Sadar Gurgaon.
Investigation and Findings
Aman Kumar, the owner of the firm, was arrested on June 13. Police investigations revealed that the address of the firm provided in Gurgaon was fake, and the banker who opened the current account had violated KYC norms prescribed by the RBI.
“Our team identified that Rahul, deputy manager of Sector 17 branch of the SBI, had opened the current account in a fraudulent manner and made it available to his associates,” stated Cyber Crime ACP Priyanshu Dewan.
Rahul, a resident of Sector 77, had been working at the Sector 17 Branch of SBI since November 9, 2022, and had opened 180 bank accounts during his tenure. He confessed to opening the bank account to fulfill a target based on documents provided by a person named Sumer from Gurgaon.
Broader Implications
Aman claimed that Sumer collected ID and address documents from him under the pretext of providing employment in Gurgaon. Both Rahul and Aman asserted that they had not received any monetary benefit from their actions.
The police are currently trying to locate Sumer and have stated that they will write to SBI seeking details of all the bank accounts opened by Rahul to determine if he provided any other accounts to cyber fraudsters. The investigation is ongoing, with authorities questioning the accused to uncover more details about the cyber fraud network and any commissions the banker and his associate may have received.
Since February 11, Gurgaon cyber crime police have arrested 15 bank employees from various banks, including SBI, Kotak Mahindra, Yes Bank, RBL Bank, AU Small Finance Bank, PNB, and IDFC Bank, for allegedly providing bank accounts to cybercrooks for money.
Conclusion
The arrest of the SBI deputy manager underscores the growing issue of bankers colluding with cybercriminals. The Gurgaon police’s continued efforts highlight the need for stringent checks and balances within banking operations to prevent such fraudulent activities.
For more updates on this developing story, stay tuned to Sarhind Times.
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