Punjab National Bank, Pudukkottai Branch, has filed a petition before the Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court seeking a CBI probe into the case pertaining to more than 13kg gold jewel valued at ₹4.80 crore missing from the bank in 2019.
Justice K. Murali Shankar ordered notice to the Centre on a petition filed by the bank and adjourned the case till September 12. The bank sought a direction to the Centre to engage the CBI to conduct the probe and file the final report in the case.
Punjab National Bank’s Pudukkottai Branch, Senior Manager J. Kingston said an employee S. Marimuthu who was working as an Office Assistant was a suspect in the case and he had allegedly looted the pledged jewels.
A case was registered by the Pudukkottai police in 2019. “Though repeated communications were made to the police to know the status of the investigation, no improvement was shown by the police,” the petitioner said.
The petitioner said the customers who pledged the jewels in the bank were demanding the jewels and had repeatedly approached the bank. It was given subsequently. The jewels were insured with the New India Assurance Company.
When the bank claimed the insurance amount, the officials wanted a report from the police stating that the jewels are not traceable and not recoverable. The bank officials repeatedly approached the police and sought to expedite the investigation and file a final report.
The petitioner said, as per the Central Vigilance Commission circular, all bank frauds above ₹3 crore are referred to the CBI. The State government, through its letter, handed over the documents to the Deputy Secretary to Government, Legal Cell, Tamil Nadu House, New Delhi.
Subsequently, the files were handed over to the Department of Personnel and Training. The Department should send the files to the CBI in order to complete the investigation within a specified period.
It is essential to get a final report in the case. Therefore, the Department should get the investigation completed by engaging the CBI and a final report should be filed in the case, the petitioner said.
