BHOPAL: After a 12-year-long inquiry, EOW is all set to file charge sheet in Rs 24 crore Hoshangabad District Central Cooperative Bank, Harda branch scam.
It has been alleged that Rs 24 crore was embezzled by the then bank officials, functionaries of cooperative bodies and others in the name fake farmers under Union government’s farm loan waiver scheme.
After securing prosecution permission from the state government, the EOW will file the charge-sheet in the court indicting officials of five cooperative bodies and bank employees of the Gahal society. The authorities might even go ahead with confiscating the property of the accused.
EOW had issued notices to 25 accused asking them to appear at its office. The proceedings for confiscating their properties may be initiated later this week. Those who are to be charge-sheeted in the first round include DR Sirothia, the then CEO of District Coop bank, Hoshangabad, Ram Narayan Sharma, the then society manager (since retired), Sohan Lal Baghel, the manager of the main branch, Harda (since retired), Hari Prasad Beda, the then society manager, Sunil Dhangar, the then branch manager, Harda and Karan Singh, the then chairman of the Gahal society.
Eighteen cooperatives societies forged documents to claim loan waiver in the name of farmers who never existed. Initially, a claim for Rs 62 crore was put up, However, NABARD did not accept the claim and conducted an inquiry, which revealed that the amount was inflated and the actual claim stood at Rs 54 core. The then CEO RK Dubey had conducted another enquiry, and thereafter claim amount by Rs five core. Yet another probe brought down the amount by another Rs 11 crore.
In the meantime, the bank employees and society functionaries withdrew a total of Rs 24 crore in the name of names of farmers who dint exist. The EOW had registered a case in the matter in 2008. A total of 25 employees, ranging from the CEO of the society to the assistant managers were booked in the case.
