In a significant move to check the menace of growing online financial frauds and failure of the banks to initiate timely action, a local court here issued direction to the Police for registration of FIR against the bank Manager of Punjab National Bank and other accused persons in an online case fraud case.
Taking action on the complaint filed by one online bank fraud victim Asha Devi a resident of Jammu, through her counsel Deepak Sharma, advocate J&K High Court, the court ordered the police to file FIR and do a thorough investigation in the case.
The complainant had alleged that Manager of Punjab National Bank Branch Talab Tillo, Jammu and other unknown person having bank account in Kotak Mahindra Bank Branch Kingsway, Nagpur and other unknown person having bank account in ICICI Bank Branch Araria Bihar with common intentions entered into a criminal conspiracy with each other and cheated and defrauded the complainant of Rs. 95,960/- by making unauthorized transfer of the money from the bank account of the complainant maintained in Punjab National Bank Branch, Talab Tillo and the money was transferred into the bank accounts of the accused persons having bank accounts in Bihar and Nagpur.
The victim lady further alleged that for the purpose of treatment of her minor son who is suffering a life threatening kidney disease, she had secured a fixed deposit (FD) in PNB bank which was set to be matured on 28/October/2020 .
It is further stated in the complaint that in the early morning of maturity day of her Fixed Deposit she received a SMS from the bank that the F.D amount has been credited in her account and within 5 minutes she received another message stating that an amount of 95,960 is transferred from her bank account to some other bank account.
Giving further details, Advocate Deepak Sharma who is pursuing this case informed that her client had earlier approached the Bank Manager, PNB Bank Talab Tillo Jammu for refund of her amount and later approached Cyber Cell Police Station Gandhi Nagar Jammu and also made a complaint to SSP Crime Branch for registration of FIR in the case but she got no relief and ultimately a complaint under section 156(3) Cr.P.C was filed before the court seeking registration of FIR against the accused manager and others for committing offence under Indian Penal Code & the Information Technology (IT) Act.
While disposing of the application, Special Mobile Magistrate Jammu Passenger Tax & Shops Establishment Act issued directions to the Cyber Police Station Jammu for registration of FIR against the accused persons.