Bureau of Investigation Economic Offences (BIEO) arrested five persons on Tuesday in connection with a scam in Punjab National Bank (PNB) in Guwahati. The five arrested people have been identified as Phanidhar Talukdar – Builder, Amarendra Kalita, Banwarilal Parekh, Suruj Sarma and Sailen Roy. It may be mentioned that Modi is presently absconding from the country after he was implicated in a $2 billion scam at PNB.
Speaking to media-persons, Shyamal Saikia, SP, BIEO said, “These five people had availed of loan from the Zoo Road branch of PNB by fraudulent means and they also gave fake documents for the same. Banwarilal Parekh has two flats and the flat against which the loan was taken is registered in someone else’s name. As the bank found out that the papers submitted by them is not genuine, they decided to file a case. A case has been filed under Sec 120(B), 468, 420, 406 of IPC. Of course, we will look into the fact that whether there is possibility of the involvement of these people in more scams. Further investigation is underway.”
Saikia further informed that a loan of Rs 1.58 crore were taken against the building and a loan of Rs 1 crore was taken as cash credit. Phanidhar Talukdar is the owner of Sky Scrapers Realtors and the other four are stakeholders. Interestingly Talukdar has also contested in the assembly elections twice.
All the arrested people were produced at CJM court on Tuesday. While BIEO wanted them in their custody for five days, the court granted them custody for three days. However, Phanidhar Talukdar, who complained of illness, has been sent to GMCH.