Ex-Bank Manager Sentenced To 3-Yr RI For Issuing ATM Cards To Deceased Pensioners In Odisha’s Balasore

Balasore: A Designated Court has sentenced a former branch manager of Bank of India to rigorous imprisonment for three years for issuing ATM cards in the name of two deceased pensioners in Odisha’s Balasore district.

As per the case, Durga Charan Panda, the former manager of BOI’s Remuna branch in the district in connivance with Brahmajyoti Behera, the son of the pensioner, Sabitri Behera, and Pravat Das, Business Correspondent of the bank had issued the AYM card in the name of Sabitri on April 26, 2014 though she had died on March 22, 2014.

Brahmajyoti withdrew about Rs 66,35,793 from the pension account of his mother by using the ATM card and some amount was transferred from his account to Pravat.

Similarly, Panda has issued the ATM card in the name of another deceased pensioner, Parsuram Giri.

The pension amount of Giri was also fraudulently enhanced from Rs 10,542 to Rs 1,90,542 and that of Sabitri from Rs 8,400 to Rs 70,894. The enhanced pension amount of dead persons was withdrawn till October, 2018. The ATM card was issued without obtaining the yearly live certificate of the pensioners.

It was found during investigation by economic offences wing (EOW) of Odisha Police that the business correspondent had misappropriated Rs 65 lakh in the pension account of Giri and Rs 67 lakh in the pension account of Sabitri. Thus, total amount of misappropriation was Rs 1.32 crore.

The EOW started the investigation after Swaraj Mohanty, senior branch manager of the bank filed a complaint against Pravat Das.

After hearing the case, the Designated Court under OPID Act, Balasore, on Tuesday sentenced former branch manager Panda to undergo rigorous imprisonment for 3 years and imposed a fine of Rs 3.25 lakhs. On default of fine, Panda would have to undergo further imprisonment of 2 years.

Earlier, on October 8, Pravat Das and Brahmajyoti Behera were convicted in the case and sentenced to undergo RI for seven years and pay fine of Rs 3.75 lakh each.