Police arrests Nagpur Mahila Bank's former manager

Additional chief judicial magistrate G S Shegaonkar has remanded the former manager of Nagpur Mahila Sahakari Bank Ltd Suruchi Ujwal Goverdhan to police custody till October 6 in the Hemani Group bank scam.

Suruchi Goverdhan, 47, during whose tenure the Hemani Group of Companies allegedly defrauded the Mahila Bank of crores of rupees, was arrested by the Crime Branch officials last night.

She is the second accused to be arrested in the Mahila Bank scam after the chartered accountant and former auditor of Dena Bank's Bhilai branch Rakesh Dhody.

Goverdhan, a resident of Swavalambi Nagar here who had resigned from the bank after the scam surfaced and had settled in Mumbai, was produced before the additional chief judicial magistrate by additional commissioner of police (Crime) Dr Dalbir Bharati, who is the investigation officer (IO) in the case.

Bharati moved an application seeking seven days police custody remand (PCR). Assistant public prosecutor (APP) R M Vaidya informed the court that the accused Goverdhan connived with Aman and Rajashree Hemani, the promoters of Hemani Group and other accused in the case, to cheat Mahila Bank by getting cheques valued at Rs 4.56 crore drawn on Dena Bank, Bhilai, discounted.

The court was also informed that the property worth Rs one crore was mortgaged by the Hemanis with the Mahila Bank against a loan of Rs 99 lakh. However, Goverdhan did not make appropriate entries in the bank's records.

APP Vaidya told the court that the police wanted to interrogate her and investigate whether she had made any investment or purchased any property from the misappropriated amount. Considering the seriousness of the crime, the prosecution insisted that she be remanded to police custody.

The Hemanis, branch manager of Dena Bank's Bhilai branch R B Sharma, assistant manager S Malik and an associate of the Hemanis, Kishore Nimje, are still at large.

The defence counsel Aniruddha Choube opposed the request.

After hearing both the sides, the court remanded Goverdhan to police custody till October 6.