Shekhawati News: Major gold scam at PNB branch, bank manager siphons off Rs 6.50 crore worth of gold

PNB Gold Scam: A major gold scam has come to light at the Punjab National Bank (PNB) branch located at Nansa Gate in Nawalgarh, Jhunjhunu district. It is alleged that the bank's then Senior Branch Manager, along with two other associate employees, stole gold jewellery weighing over 4 kg, valued at approximately ₹6.50 crore, from the gold safe located in the strong room.

The current Senior Branch Manager of the bank, Mukesh Sihag, has registered a case at the Nawalgarh police station in this matter. Mukesh Sihag took charge at the Nawalgarh branch on January 30, and the scam was uncovered only after that.

How the Scam Unfolded

According to the registered case, hundreds of packets of gold jewellery were kept in the strong room's gold safe against gold loans provided to customers. Out of these, real gold jewellery from 73 packets was removed and replaced with imitation jewellery, while the weight of jewellery in 3 packets was found to be less. In the bank's preliminary investigation, a total of 4198 grams of gold jewellery was found to be missing, with an estimated value of approximately ₹6.50 crore. The actual quantity of stolen gold will be determined after a detailed investigation.

Case Registered Against These Individuals

The police have registered a case against the then Senior Branch Manager Amit Kumar, son of Matadeen, resident of Sithal; Banking Correspondent Santosh Kumar Saini, son of Mahavir Prasad Saini, resident of Bajawali Dhani Jhajhad; and Deputy Manager Anantprakash Choudhary, son of Om Prakash, resident of Mukundgarh, under serious sections including fraud, and have begun an investigation.

The Scam Revealed During Handover

The responsibility for the joint custody of the gold safe, which opens with two keys, was held by the then Senior Branch Manager Amit Kumar and Deputy Manager Anantprakash Choudhary. Six days ago, on January 28, when the charge of the gold safe was being handed over to Deputy Manager Seema Mahla, tampering with the packets was discovered during the inspection of the safe. Following this, the bank management initiated an internal investigation.

Key Facts Revealed in CCTV Footage

During the investigation, the CCTV footage installed in the bank branch was reviewed. The footage showed the then Senior Branch Manager Amit Kumar and Banking Correspondent Santosh Kumar Saini leaving the bank branch around 6:50 PM on January 21, carrying boxes of gold jewellery. Subsequently, around 6:30 PM on January 22, both were seen tampering with the gold packets in the strong room's gold safe. The investigation also revealed that Deputy Manager Anant Kumar Choudhary held one key for the joint custody of the gold safe, which he had handed over to Senior Branch Manager Amit Kumar.