₹122 Crore New India Co-op Bank Scam: Brain Mapping Test Reports Of GM Hitesh Mehta Turn Out Positive

Mumbai: In the Rs 122 crore New India Co-operative Bank scam, the brain mapping test reports for key accused, general manager Hitesh Mehta, have turned out positive. A senior Economic Offences Wing (EOW) official said it’s indicative of Mehta’s involvement, including other accused. A lie detector test on Mehta at the Forensic Science Laboratory, Kalina, was inconclusive last month.

Court Grants Permission To Conduct Psychological Tests

The court had granted permission to conduct psychological tests on Mehta, following which a brain mapping test was conducted on March 28. Mumbai Police’s Economic Offences Wing (EOW) has sought clarification from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) as part of its ongoing investigation into the alleged Rs 122 crore New India Co-operative Bank scam.

EOW Initiates A Preliminary Enquiry

The EOW has also initiated a preliminary enquiry (PE) into the bank’s non-performing assets (NPA) of over Rs400 crore and disbursal of loans to defaulting accounts despite repeated non-payments. The EOW’s investigation so far has revealed that the bank’s rising NPAs and increasing cash on hand went undetected for three years.

This is despite the bank being under RBI supervision for the last five years. Now, officials have sent a detailed questionnaire to the RBI, raising concerns over the central bank’s audit and supervisory processes related to the cooperative bank.