By A Staff Reporter
Kathmandu, Nov. 28:Police have arrested a gang of six persons from various places of Kathmandu on charge of withdrawing money from the bank accounts of others by matching their signatures and issuing cheque books from the banks of the genuine account holders.
According to Metropolitan Police Range, Teku, the gang was found drawing cash Rs. 1,999,000 from Janata Bank Limited.
Speaking at a press conference organised by the Police Range, Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Uttam Subedi said the arrestees were identified as Subash Shreshta, Kumar Tamang, Manish Ghimire and Anjan Baral of Panchkhal, Kavre and temporarily residing in Kalimati, Kathmandu..
Police also handcuffed Suman Poudel of Galkot, Baglung and Govinda Ghimire of Sindhupalchowk. A police team deployed from the Metropolitan Police Kathmandu busted them from various places of Kathmandu Sunday evening.
Kathmandu Police began an investigation after receiving a complaint from one Gopal Man Rajbahak, who had an account in Janata Bank. According to Rajbahak, Rs. 1.9 million was withdrawn from his account on Sunday.
SSP Subedi said, “Although Rajbahak had not issued any cheque to anyone, a huge sum of money was withdrawn at times. After he lodged his complaints, police started investigation after consulting the concerned bank and the officials of the Nepal Rastra Bank, the central bank of Nepal.”
The bank fraudsters were successful to draw a new cheque book and cash Rs. 1.99 million from the account of Rajbahak by matching his signature. Police also seized cheques of different banks like NIC Asia, Everest Bank, Machhapuchhre Bank, Muktinath Development Bank, Jyoti Bikas Bank, debit cards of various banks, cheque books, account opening forms and registers (day books) from the arrested. “After recovering those documents, it is suspected that they might have been plotting for a bigger banking crime,” said SSP Subedi.
Police also drew the employees of NIC Asia and Muktinath Development bank into the investigation. “We cannot ignore the involvement of bank employees as all these plots could not have become successful without their support,” SSP Subedi said.
According to a preliminary investigation, the group was found to be applying for the new cheque books by using a cloned signature of the genuine account holders.
Police made public the arrestees at the press meet held at Metropolitan Police Range, Teku.
"We have started a detailed investigation into them, including the bank officials, taking technical supports from the central bank," Subedi said.
All the arrestees were aged between 18 and 25 years, and most of them were students of grade 12 and bachelor levels.
Police also seized 290 copies of citizenship certificates collected for the purpose of opening the bank accounts.
“The most interesting part of the crime is that the gang has become able to collect a model signature of genuine account holders so that they can draw money from the money they deposit later,” SSP Subedi said.
Police investigation is continuing to find out how they managed to have access to the signatures of genuine account holders, Subedi said.
Photos of 825 account holders were also seized from the gang.
The police also seized 67 sets cheque books of NIC Bank, 42 sets cheque books of Mutinath Development Bank, 19 of Machhapuchhre Bank, 23 of Everest Bank, 57 cheque of Janata Bank, filled bank account forms of 300 people, and bank statements of 115 account holders.