Investigations still on SBS fraud attempt, says Crime officials

GANGTOK, November 23: Overruling the speculations of high hand involvement in the recent case of multi-crore scam, the Criminal Investigation Division wing of Sikkim Police today gave a clean chit to State Bank of Sikkim for not having any idea on the whole economic ordeal.
Addressing a press conference here at Police Head quarter on Friday, the Senior Superintendent of Police, Crime Branch ST Bhutia said, although the investigation is still on, there has been no substantiation of any bank employees or any other high profile people of Sikkim involved in the case.
It may be recalled here that the CID wing of Sikkim police had arrested three persons including one local in an attempt to fraud State Bank of Sikkim amounting to rupees Rs. 80 crores.
After a thorough investigation, the CID team has found that one of the alleged arrested in the money laundering case, Gautam Das is still wanted at Birpara Police station for the similar charge. The documents confiscated by the CID team from one of the hotels in the Capital where the culprits were staying reveal that a similar proposal had been put at Central Bank of India, Birpara Branch and also at Punjab Sindh Bank, Asansol amounting to Rs 100 crores and Rs. 97 crores respectively in the name of Godraise International Ltd.
The team has also found three fake stamps of the forged company from the hotel room.
The CID super informed the master mind behind the whole economic offence Gautam Das had opened an account with the fake name Amit Das in the said banks.
After the investigation it was learnt that the money launders were able to withdraw Rs 7 lakhs from Punjab Sindh Bank but could not make any transactions from CBI, Birpara.
The fled money launders then made SBS a soft target using the same modus operandi. Four persons Sunil Rai, Subroto Banerjee, Gautam Das and Sudip Malik have been arrested under sections 420/423, 120 B and 5(1) 34 of the Indian Penal Code for fraud and submission of forged documents.
“We are still interrogating the arrested four persons and are hopeful that they will spill more beans on the case,” Mr. Bhutia told reporters.