There has been a big disclosure in the case of embezzlement of Rs 122 crore in Mumbai’s New India Co-operative Bank. Aaj Tak has an exclusive copy of the statement of the complainant of this scam, which shows that Hitesh Mehta, the then General Manager (GM) of the bank, had embezzled a huge amount from the bank’s safe locker.
When the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) found a huge cash disturbance in the bank, he appointed a administrator. On February 12, when the RBI officials audited the bank, the layers of this scam opened.
According to the statement of the complainant, he is a senior bank employee, he said that from 9 am he was present in the corporate office of the bank in Prabhadevi, Mumbai. At the same time, RBI deputy GM Ravindran and another officer Sanjay Kumar arrived for the audit. Also, other senior officials of the bank- General Manager, Assistant General Manager (AGM) and other high officials were also present there.
Cash missing from third floor locker
According to the complainant, the bank’s main safe locker was on the third floor of the building. RBI officials took the keys of the locker from New India Bank employee Atul Mhatre and started counting the cash kept in the vault. The complainant said that a team of RBI officials had also gone to the Goregaon branch of New India Co-operative Bank at the same time and was counting cash in the vault kept there.
According to the statement, a few hours later, RBI officials called senior bank officials up and told that there is a huge difference between the cash recorded in the bank’s locker on the third floor and the cash recorded in the register. 122 crore cash is missing from the bank’s locker and some amount was less than Goregaon branch.
GM Hitesh Mehta accepted embezzlement
According to the complainant, we were all surprised and we did not know what to say. Senior RBI officials told us that if we do not tell them where the cash is, then we will be in trouble. Also, we were told that if you want to tell, then you can also email them. Meanwhile, Hitesh Mehta met RBI officials alone. After this, other senior bank officials were called. At the same time, Hitesh Mehta accepted the matter of embezzlement.
According to the statement of the complainant, when Mehta was asked where such a huge amount went, he said that he gave this money to some acquaintances. When he was asked when the embezzlement was going on, he replied that he was withdrawing money from the bank’s locker since the time of Kovid.
EOW arrested Hitesh Mehta
The Dadar police had earlier registered a primary FIR in this case, which was later handed over to the Economic Offenses Branch (EOW). On Saturday, the EOW team raided Hitesh Mehta’s house in Dahisar and arrested him. Now the police is investigating this scam in depth and is trying to find out where the embezzled 122 crore rupees went and who else is involved in this.
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