Mumbai Crime: Agent who duped bank of Rs 1.64 crore booked

Officials also found that the person who had met the bank verification officer as a dealer was also an impersonator

The NM Joshi Marg cops, on Thursday, booked an agent who duped a private bank of Rs 1.64 crore by furnishing fake RC books for auto loans. The agent, from the period 2018 to 2020 got 13 car loans sanctioned from the bank on vehicles sold by a Kalyan-based dealer. But, during investigation, it was found that the vehicles were never sold by the dealer. In fact, the account number given to disburse the loan amount also belongs to the agent. No arrest has been made yet.

In January 2021, IDBI Bank, Lower Parel branch, received orders to verify car loans distributed. During verification, officials found that 13 people who had bought vehicles by taking loans had not been paying their monthly instalments. All loans happened to be disbursed towards an auto dealer, Sudarshan Motors, in Kalyan based on dubious documents. When the executives of the bank went to the dealer in Kalyan, they were shocked to know that the documents produced against the loans, including tax invoice, proforma invoice, RC book and receipt for buying vehicles, were fake and no such vehicle had been sold by the dealer.

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During an internal investigation, bank officials found that a person named Santosh Kamble, who was acting as agent, was instrumental in the loan process. Kamble was known to the whole bank staff as he was active since 2018. Officials also found that the person who had met the verification officer at Sudarshan Motors as a dealer was also an impersonator and no person named Jayesh Ashokan was working there. The bank realised that over a period of two years, 13 such loans had been disbursed in the name of various customers, totalling Rs 1.64 crore. The money that was transferred in an account at a private bank in Oshiwara was under the name Sudarshan Motors but was operated by Santosh Kamble. The bank rushed to NM Joshi Marg police station and registered a complaint against Santosh Kamble, Jayesh Ashokan and 13 customers whose documents were presented.

"As per the complaint from bank, an offence has been registered against 15 people," said Pratap Bhosale, senior inspector, NM Joshi Marg police station. "We are also verifying whether the people on whose name the loans were claimed exist or not," he added.

Bank unresponsive
Attempts to reach out to IDBI Bank officials were in vain as the branch manager failed to respond to several calls and text messages.

13
No. of car loans that the fraudster availed of