Scripting the first instance of a multi-crore scam in the financial institution in Dhemaji district, a woman cashier and her accomplices have allegedly misappropriated Rs 3.21 crore out of ‘credit money’ against various recurring deposit schemes.
The multi-crore scam in the Jonai branch of Asom Bahumukhi Samabai Samiti (cooperative society) Ltd, has come to light after the new Branch Manager assumed charges and verified financial accounts on the wake of ‘shortage of money’ against repayment of maturity benefits against a large number of recurring deposit accounts.
The Samabai Samiti’s branch manager Bikromsing Taye said his cashier Bonti Mili (Tayeng) in collusion with field assistant Dipanjali Doley (Das) and collection agent Mousumi Doley (Pegu) have siphoned off the money by forging cash receipt and maintaining fake statements in the original cash book.
The financial irregularity in the Samabai Samiti started during April 2016-17.
The cashier and her accomplices allegedly embezzled the amount in three financial years from 2016-17 to 2018-19 (upto September).
Branch Manager Taye earlier reported the ‘misappropriation of money by his office staff’ to head office at Jorhat, but no effective step was initiated from their end to recover the pocketed money.
Taye later filed a complaint with Jonai police demanding action against the unscrupulous Samabai Samiti staff, who are allegedly involved in the financial corruption.
Jonai Police has registered a case (No. 47/2020) under sections- 420/406/464/34 of the Indian Penal Code against the trio and started investigation.
The investigating officer (i/o) of the case recently recorded the complainant’s statement and seized office files including bank accounts and disbursement records from the Samabai Samiti office at Jonai.
Police said that they issued notice under CrPC to the accused persons for interrogation, but they did not respond to the notice.
Now, the police are all set to arrest the accused persons for non-compliance of police summons.
A police team conducted a raid the residence of the accused cashier, but could not trace her.
Police said the accused are fleeing to evade arrest.
“We have recorded the complainant’s statement and accordingly issued notice to the accused for interrogation. We are hopeful that the trio will fall into our net soon,” said inspector Bhim Kt Pegu, officer-in-charge of Jonai police station.
Financial dealings and other official activities of the ABSS office at Jonai have come to halt due to police investigation into the reported misappropriation of fund by the office staff.
The cooperative society (Samabai Samiti) has 17 staff and 28 collection agents.
It is reported that the development officers and collection agents are pushed for bearing the brunt of customers’ anger as they are incapable of repaying maturity amounts to the customers (investors) concerned.
Irate customers ransacked the Samabai Samiti office last month and set a deadline of three months for repayment of their payable amount with maturity benefits against their recurring accounts.