CCB's probe into Rs 3.15 crore gold jewellery fraud in PNB

CHENNAI: Greater Chennai Police (GCP)'s Central Crime Branch (CCB) has registered a case against a former branch manager and three other staff members of Punjab National Bank's (PNB) Kilpauk branch for allegedly replacing gold jewellery pledged by customers with fake jewellery and causing a loss of Rs 3.15 crore to the bank.

Police sources said that a senior executive at PNB, Ganesh Chandra Panda, filed a complaint with the GCP Commissioner after an internal audit revealed the wrongdoing.

The incident came to light after a customer's jewellery was 'missing' when the customer came to redeem it in April. Subsequently, the customer's jewellery was found beneath the locker, after which the senior management raised suspicion and examined all the jewellery in the branch.

The police said 2.137 kg of jewellery belonging to 24 customers was found in the locker, but examination showed that it had been replaced with covering jewellery.

According to a complaint by PNB to the police, the former branch manager and three others had conspired and replaced over 2 kg of gold jewellery belonging to 24 customers with fake jewellery.

CCB registered a case under provisions relating to cheating and criminal conspiracy and began efforts to recover the original jewellery.