The Sundargarh police on Tuesday arrested two officials of the State Bank of India for alleged forgery of disbursement of Rs 54.66 lakh against gold loan by keeping imitation items. Two other bank officials in connection to this case are still at large and the police are now searching for them for arrest.
According to an FIR lodged by Chief Manager of Agricultural Development Branch of SBI at Sadeipal in Sundargarh Baidanath Sarangi on December 28, 2013 at the Sundargarh Town police station, the gold mortgage items which had been kept in the bank locker are made of brass and silver and coated with gold colour.
The FIR further said four officials of the branch Kulamani Kalo, Senior Assistant (Cash & Gold), Arajit Kiro, Juniot Assistant (Cash & Gold), Singar Majhi and Arjun Sahu were involved in the forgery by keeping the imitation items and disbursing Rs 54.66 lakh to 40 applicants, who as farmers took loan. The guidelines of bank had not been followed by the four officials and the quality of the gold had not been checked.
After eight months of the FIR, the police started investigation and arrested Kulamani Kalo and Arajit Kiro and forwarded them to court on Tuesday under Sections 420 and 409 IPC. Singar Majhi and Arjun Sahu are reportedly absconding. The police are also investigating the involvement of the persons who had allegedly given imitation gold.
While Arajit Kiro is now retired from the bank, Kulamani Kalo has been suspended after the forgery came to fore. When the forgery took place, Singar Majhi had come on deputation and is now posted at another branch while Arjun Sahu has been transferred to another branch.