CBI Files FIR Over Alleged Rs 10.24 Crore Fraud at Punjab National Bank Branch in Greater Noida

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has registered an First Information Report (FIR) regarding an alleged Rs 10.24 crore financial fraud at a Punjab National Bank (PNB) branch in Greater Noida. The investigation follows a complaint submitted by PNB Chief Manager Ajay Kumar Pandey to the CBI's Anti-Corruption Branch in Ghaziabad. According to bank officials and the preliminary enquiry, the suspected irregularities at the Sector Pi branch are believed to have continued for nearly three years.

How the Fraud Was Uncovered and Executed

• Discovery: The case came to light when a customer, Sangeeta, visited the branch with her family to update her passbook and noticed three unauthorized transactions dated September 16.
• Misuse of Credentials: The bank's preliminary complaint alleges that a bank employee named Deepanshi misused the login credentials of six colleagues—including Senior Branch Manager Nisha Tirkey and several customer service associates—to execute unauthorized transfers.
• Routing of Funds: Funds from customer accounts and prematurely closed Fixed Deposits (FDs) were allegedly routed through multiple accounts, including those of Ashutosh Pathak, Pradeep Kumar, Membangti Devi, Priyanka Kumari, Shanti Devi, Shalini, and Saroj Devi.
• FD Tampering: The bank stated that suspects were added as joint account holders to several FDs, which were then prematurely closed and redirected.
• Alert Tampering: Mobile transaction alerts linked to certain customer accounts were reportedly altered or disabled to delay detection.

Investigation and Next Steps

According to the bank's complaint, Deepanshi claimed during internal questioning that she was influenced by Ashutosh Pathak following a prior financial dispute involving her family. The CBI has registered a case against Deepanshi, Ashutosh Pathak, other private individuals, and unidentified public servants. PNB has stated that reconciliation and comprehensive examination of accounts are ongoing, and all relevant electronic records and logs will be provided to the CBI.