The CBI has filed a charge-sheet against a former deputy general manager of SBI and three directors of a Kolkata-based private firm for causing a loss of Rs 64.57 crore to the bank.
In its charge-sheet filed in a special CBI court at Bichar Bhawan in Kolkata, the CBI has alleged that Partha Sarathi Ghosh, Kallol Mukhopadhyay, Probal Mukherjee — all directors of Damodar Developers Private Limited — entered into a criminal conspiracy with the then Deputy General Manager Suresh Chandra Rath and Relationships Manager of the bank Jnanajit Dutta.
All have been booked on various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) on charges of criminal conspiracy (Section 420 IPC), cheating (420 IPC), forgery (468 IPC) and Sections 13(2) read with 13(1)(d) of the Prevention of Corruption Act.
The central investigating agency had initiated a probe following which a complaint was lodged by the SBI alleging a criminal conspiracy by the then directors of the Kolkata-based private company in connivance with the then officials of the bank.
The investigation revealed that the private company had availed cash credit Limit and Line of Credit limit amounting to Rs 64.57 crore from SBI, Bhowanipore Branch in Kolkata against forged title deeds of non-existing properties as collateral securities during the period from 2009 to 2012.
The accused had not only failed to repay the loan amount that led to a loss of Rs 64.57 crore to the bank but had not utilised the money for which the loan was sanctioned and it was used for some other purpose.
Investigation revealed that the company was enjoying a cash credit limit of Rs 22 crore from Axis Bank, Kolkata, CBI spokesperson R K Gaur said here on Wednesday. He said that on June 8, 2009, the directors of the company allegedly submitted the initial application for loan in SBI, with a request to take over their loan from Axis Bank with an enhancement of credit limit from Rs 22 crore to Rs 28.5 crore with an outstanding balance of Rs 22 crore with Axis Bank.
"Then DGM (SME)(Rath), SBI, Kolkata allegedly abused his official position and fraudulently shown his interest to take over loan account, when there was an outstanding of Rs 22 crore with Axis Bank," Gaur said.