Former Manager of Punjab National Bank Arrested for Rs 1.23 Crore Fraud in Odisha.
Arpit Pattnaik
The Economic Offences Wing (EOW) of Odisha has arrested Vinay Sonkar, the former manager of the Punjab National Bank (PNB) circle office in Balasore, in connection with an alleged fraud case involving ₹1.23 crore.
According to an EOW announcement, Sonkar was apprehended in Burdwan, West Bengal, on Friday. He is currently being brought back on transit remand and will be presented before the Designated Court under the OPID Act in Balasore on Saturday.
The Chief Manager of PNB's Balasore branch filed a complaint alleging that Sonkar misappropriated public funds by instructing the branch manager to transfer ₹1,23,12,236.01 to unauthorized accounts fraudulently. This misconduct occurred during his tenure as manager at the circle office from August 31, 2020, to June 4, 2022. Following this period, he was assigned to the General Services Administration Department (GSAD) and oversaw the Credit Guarantee Fund Trust for Micro & Small Enterprises (CGTMSE).
The branch officials made a total of 26 transactions, crediting ₹1,23,12,236.01 to several accounts designated by Sonkar. Instead of instructing the deposit of the credit guarantee amount into the CGTMSE account, which provides loans to individuals under various government schemes, he directed the branch manager to transfer funds to multiple unauthorized accounts, resulting in significant losses to the bank.
Additionally, the EOW noted that Sonkar had committed a similar fraud amounting to ₹80 lakh while working at the Rishra Morepukur Branch in Hooghly in 2022. He was removed from service on March 24, 2024. Authorities have seized several incriminating documents, including personal files, forged letters, vouchers, bank account statements, and registers. Further investigation is ongoing.
