The Haveri CEN (Cyber Economic and Narcotics Crime) Police have arrested an assistant branch manager of Union Bank of Kurubagonda in Haveri district in connection defrauding customers of jewellery valued at nearly ₹50 lakh and lakhs of rupees in cash.
Following a complaint by branch manager Raviraj, the CEN Police registered a case against assistant branch manager Archana Betageri, daily wage worker Shanthappa Yalagacchi and business correspondent Praveen Chikkalingadahalli.
The accused Archana Betageri has been serving as in-charge branch manager at Kurubagonda for the last two-and-a-half years. She and the two others are now accused of defrauding the bank’s customers of over ₹1.62 crore, in all.
Archana Betageri has been accused of not depositing money and jewellery collected from the bank’s customers.
The three accused are said to have siphoned off ₹1,12,78,920 in cash and jewellery worth ₹49,47,792, in all.
Of this, Archana Betageri is said to have collected ₹81,45,420 from nine customers in return for which she has issued cash receipts and security deposit receipts with the bank’s seal. She also has been accused of looting the bank’s ATM with the help of the second and third accused and taking away ₹31,33,500 in cash.
She is said to have misused the amount thus collected instead of crediting it to customer accounts. She has been accused of taking away gold jewellery pledged by 13 customers for availing themselves of ₹49,47,792 loans.
In the complaint, the branch manager has accused Archana Betageri of misuse of power, breach of trust and creating fake accounts and data. She also has been accused of taking away documents from the bank’s locker.
Haveri Superintendent of Police Shivakumar Gunare said that they have so far arrested one person in connection with the case and that further investigation is on.
