Bank Fraud Bites Kolkata Municipal Body: Rs 23 Lakh Siphoned Off From Official Account, Police Case Filed

Kolkata Mayor Firhad Hakim has stated that the municipal body has filed a complaint with the police alleging a bank fraud of Rs 23 lakh from the official bank account of the corporation, reports Press Trust of India (PTI).

“It has come to our notice that there has been a bank fraud of Rs 23 lakh from the official account of KMC. It has been done from the branch of a nationalised bank in Gurgaon. The bank fraud has been done by cloning a cheque and signature of the authorised person,” said Hakim to a group of reporters.

“We have lodged a complaint at the New Market police station. The bank has decided to revert the money to KMC’s account as the fraud happened due (to) negligence on their part,” he stated, adding that an investigation by the Kolkata police into the scam was underway.

A section of KMC officials also expressed shock at how fraudsters could forge the signature of KMC Controller of Finance Accounts (CMFA) Debatosh Dasgupta.

The Saradha Scam

Among the significant financial scams in recent memory was the Saradha scam which unfolded under the reign of Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee. Lakhs of investors were lured to deposit their hard-earned savings in the chit fund scheme with glossy brochures and the promise of abnormally high returns. While some put the fraud at Rs 1,200 crore, others quoted damages of Rs 4,000 crore.

The Opposition has alleged that Mamata Banerjee’s Trinamool Congress had close links with Sudipta Sen, the Chairman of the chit fund group. CBI is currently investigating the matter.

Also Read: The Irony Of Mamata Banerjee Sitting On A Fast To ‘Save Democracy’ In Today’s Bengal