post news network
Khurda, Nov 22: A sum of Rs 16.64 lakh has been fraudulently withdrawn from the bank account for MLA local area development (LAD) fund by using the BDO’s forged signatures, police said Sunday.
The fraud came to light after block development officer (BDO) Shantanu Mohanty lodged a complaint at Town police station Saturday. According to the complaint, Rs 16,64,925 was withdrawn by unknown persons between October 19 and 30 by depositing 10 cheques bearing forged signatures of the Mohanty. The cash was withdrawn from a State Bank of India branch in Bhadrak.
Sources said the BDO leant about the fraud when the payment of bills for construction works being carried out under the MLA local area development fund at Nalipada Arjunpur could not be cleared at the SBI branch due to insufficient balance. When Mohanty again approached the bank Saturday, the cheques again got bounced due to insufficient balance.
When SBI officials in Khurda later inquired into the matter, they found that the cash was already withdrawn from the bank’s Bhadrak branch. Police said an investigation has been launched to ascertain the identity of the people who withdrew the funds and the possible involvement of officials, including those at the bank branch and in the local administration.
