New India Cooperative Bank Scam: EOW To Conduct Lie Detector Test On Accused Hitesh Mehta Today

Mumbai: The troubles of Hitesh Mehta, the prime accused and former General Manager (GM) of New India Cooperative Bank in the ₹122 crore scam, are set to deepen. The Economic Offences Wing (EOW) of Mumbai Police will conduct a lie detector test on Mehta today after receiving court permission.

A senior EOW official confirmed that the test will take place at the forensic department’s office, with all necessary preparations completed. According to EOW sources, a list of key questions has been prepared to extract truthful answers from Mehta. The test is expected to bring major revelations related to the scam, helping investigators gather crucial leads.

During the test, the EOW will focus on several critical questions, including:

Did Hitesh Mehta actually give ₹70 crore to co-accused builder Dharmesh Paun?

Did he transfer ₹40 crore to absconding accused Ullhanath Arunachalam?

Where did he invest or stash the embezzled money?

Who else was involved in the scam?

Notably, Mehta claimed to have given ₹70 crore to Paun, but in his statement, Paun denied this, admitting to receiving only ₹12 crore.

RBI Submits Inspection Report to EOW

In a parallel development, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has submitted its inspection report on the bank to the EOW. The inspection, conducted on February 12, was led by an RBI officer who has already recorded his statement with the agency.

Meanwhile, the EOW continues to interrogate six auditors who handled the bank’s audits between 2019 and 2024. The auditors have handed over their complete reports. Additionally, the agency is preparing to re-examine six bank directors who have already undergone an initial round of questioning.

Investigations have revealed that Hitesh Mehta systematically withdrew funds from the bank and handed them over each time to Manohar Arunachalam, another key figure in the case. The probe remains ongoing, with further arrests and revelations expected.