CBI books bank manager over fraudulent conversion of old notes

Continuing its crackdown on errant bank officials post-demonetisation, the CBI today registered a case against a senior manager of a public sector bank and owners of a company in Bengaluru for allegedly violating RBI guidelines for scrapping old currency notes of Rs 500 and Rs 1000.
The CBI registered a case against senior manager and branch head of Central Bank of India's Basavanagudi branch S Lakshimnarayana and Directors S Gopal and Ashwin G Sunkur of Omkar Parimal Mandir under various sections of Indian Penal Code and Prevention of Corruption Act, agency surces said here.
The CBI alleged that from November 15 to November 18, the bank manager had issued 149 demand drafts for amounts less than Rs 50,000 in favour of a Pune-based finance company in violation of RBI guidelines.

The total value of the demand drafts was Rs 71 lakh which the branch manager accepted in old demonetised notes from the owners of the company, they said. The amount was staggered and 149 DDs were issued for less than Rs 50,000 which was allegedly done by the accused fraudulently to convert the old demonetised notes.
The firm's owners subsequently cancelled the drafts and encashed the amount thereby clandestinely converting old notes into valid bills, the CBI alleged.
The CBI also carried out searches at various places across Bengaluru including the residence of bank officials and private persons. Incriminating documents, including bank vouchers, counterfoils, DDs, property documents, hard disks and Rs 5,91,500 cash in old Rs 500 and Rs 1000 were recovered.