Bank of India officer arrested for ₹16 crore fraud after 13-hour chase
Mumbai: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Wednesday arrested suspended Bank of India (BOI) officer Hitesh Singla, accused of misappropriating ₹16.10 crore from 127 customer accounts. He was caught in Ahmedabad after a 13-hour chase that spanned across states.
Singla, 32, had been missing since the fraud came to light. He was tracked down on the Ujjain–Veraval Mahamana Express, where officials said he kept shifting between coaches and seats to avoid detection. ED officers intercepted him when the train reached Ahmedabad early on Wednesday. He was later produced before a special Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) court in Mumbai, which remanded him to ED custody till Tuesday.
According to investigators, the fraud took place between May 2023 and July 2025. Singla allegedly closed fixed deposits, provident funds, senior citizen savings, current accounts, and dormant savings accounts without authorisation. The money was diverted in small instalments into his personal accounts in the State Bank of India to avoid suspicion.
Officials said he mainly targeted accounts of senior citizens, minors, deceased customers, and long-inactive account holders to keep the fraud hidden. “Through this method, Singla defrauded the Bank of India and its customers of ₹16.10 crore, causing serious financial and reputational damage,” an ED officer said.
ED teams received information on Tuesday that Singla was travelling on a sleeper-class ticket on the Mahamana Express. One team boarded the train at Godhra, while another flew from Mumbai to Ahmedabad to intercept him. Investigators found that Singla had upgraded to an AC coach mid-journey and kept changing seats. He was finally identified and arrested when the train reached Ahmedabad station.
The investigation began after the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) registered a case on August 6, following a complaint from Om Prakash, deputy zonal manager of BOI. The FIR named Singla and possible accomplices under the Indian Penal Code, Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, and the Prevention of Corruption Act.
Officials suspect that part of the siphoned funds may have been invested in the stock market. The ED is now tracing the money trail and has searched premises linked to an associate of the accused.
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High-level inquiry committee set up to probe fire in Rajdhani Express: Railway Board
New Delhi (PTI): The West Central Railway Zone has constituted a high administrative grade-level inquiry committee to investigate the fire on the Thiruvananthapuram Central-Hazrat Nizamuddin Rajdhani Express on Sunday.
The fire erupted at 5.15 am in the B-1 passenger coach of the train between Vikramgarh Alot and Lunirichha stations under the Kota Railway division, one-and-a-half hours after it left the Ratlam Junction in Madhya Pradesh, according to an official. The fire also damaged the luggage brake and generator car behind the coach.
"The committee has been nominated by the general manager of West Central Railway (WCR). It comprises senior officers from the West Central Railway, Integral Coach Factory in Chennai, and RDSO (Research Designs and Standards Organisation)," the Railway Board said in a press note.
"Principal chief safety officer, WCR, has been appointed as the convener of the committee," it said, also mentioning other committee members such as principal chief electrical engineer, principal chief mechanical engineer, principal chief security officer from the WCR zone, and principal chief mechanical engineer from the Integrated Coach Factory, among others.
As per the provisions of the Accident Manual, the committee has been directed to complete the inquiry within the stipulated timeframe.
The Board stated that the committee will conduct a detailed examination of the causes of the incident, technical aspects and safety parameters so as to prevent recurrence of such incidents in future.
"Indian Railways remains committed to ensuring the safety and security of passengers and is taking all necessary measures in this regard," it added.
