BHOPAL: The Economic Offences Wing (EOW) has submitted a chargesheet in the Harda-Hoshangabad Cooperative Bank scam case. Around Rs 78 crore were siphoned off in the name of waiving of farmers’ loans by 18 different cooperative societies. The then UPA government, in 2008, had announced the waiving of loans of farmers amounting up to Rs 50,000.
After the complaint, the EOW had registered the case in 2011 against the cooperative banks of Harda and Hosangabad, including the 18 societies, from where the process of loan waiving under the scheme was done.
During the investigations, it was found that, with the help of the cooperative societies, the bank officials had incorporated such ‘farmers’ who were not present on earth. In the name of these ‘farmers’, the officials had siphoned off more than Rs 78 crore.
The chargesheet has been submitted against Gahal Cooperative Society in the special court of Hoshangabad. The EOW has charged the then manager, Ramnarayan Sharma, Sohanlal Baghel, the then observer, and present manager, Hari Prasad, the then manager, Sunil Dhangar, the then society president, Karan Singh, and CA Pankaj Goyel. The then CEOs of the bank, RK Dubey and DR Sirothia, are also the accused in the case. The investigation agency claimed that, in the coming two months, they are going to submit chargesheets against the remaining 17 societies.
