State Bank of Sikkim scam: Two officials arrested for Rs 30 lakh fraud

Sikkim Vigilance Police have arrested two officials from the State Bank of Sikkim (SBS) on charges of criminal conspiracy, cheating, misappropriation, and forgery. The arrests, made on June 28, were accompanied by searches of the officials' residences and offices in Gangtok and Sang.

The case involves the fraudulent deposit of six Demand Drafts, totaling approximately Rs. 30 lakhs, into personal accounts instead of the intended government account. These drafts, issued by State Bank of India, HDFC Bank, and State Bank of Sikkim, were meant for the Accounts Officer of the Pension Department, Government of Sikkim, as refunds for overpayment of pensions to deceased pensioners.

The investigation revealed a complex scheme where the accused officials allegedly deposited these drafts into their personal accounts and withdrew the funds within days. In a startling twist, one of the drafts was deposited in March 2024 into the account of a female customer who had passed away in January 2017. This deceased customer was reportedly the mother of an SBS official, and her account remained active despite her death.

The Vigilance Police initiated the investigation following a complaint from the Pension Department. During the operation, authorities seized incriminating documents including bank passbooks, passports, and fixed deposit receipts worth several lakhs of rupees.