Banker held for stealing almost Rs 10 lakh from Vrindavan temple donation boxes
Mathura, Apr 6 (PTI): A Canara Bank officer has been arrested for allegedly stealing nearly Rs 10 lakh from the donation boxes of the Thakur Banke Bihari temple in Vrindavan here, police on Sunday said.
The theft was uncovered after temple security monitoring CCTV footage observed the officer concealing bundles of cash in his clothing.
Police Circle Officer (Sadar) Sandeep Kumar said, "One Abhinav Saxena, son of Saket Saxena and a resident of Rampur, UP, currently residing in Mathura, was caught red-handed during the monthly counting of donations from 16 collection boxes on Saturday."
Monitoring CCTVs, the temple security noticed Saxena, an official from the Canara Bank Mathura branch, concealing bundles of Rs 500 and Rs 200 notes in his pants.
When the alleged theft was spotted, temple authorities alerted the police, who frisked Saxena in front of witnesses and found on him Rs 1,28,600.
During interrogation, Saxena confessed to stealing over the previous two days an additional Rs 8,55,300, which was later recovered from his house in Ashoka City, Mathura.
"A case of theft and breach of trust has been registered based on a complaint filed by temple manager Munish Kumar Sharma. Saxena was arrested and presented before a magistrate, and has been sent to judicial custody in the district jail on Sunday," said the officer.
The bank's Vrindavan branch manager, Mohit Kumar, confirmed that Saxena, who had been transferred to the Mathura loan department after serving in the Vrindavan branch from 2020 to 2024, has been suspended with immediate effect.
The bank has also initiated its own internal investigation into the matter.
#मथुरा : वृंदावन के विश्व प्रसिद्ध बांके बिहारी मंदिर में दान राशि की गिनती के दौरान केनरा बैंक से आए कर्मचारी पर चोरी का आरोप लगा है। मंदिर की दान पेटी की गिनती के दौरान सुरक्षा कर्मियों को शक होने पर बैंक कर्मी अभिनव सक्सेना की तलाशी ली गई, जिसमें उसकी अंडरवीयर से 500 और 200 के… pic.twitter.com/A39zzkDUEu
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If asked for commission, contractors should approach Lokayukta: DK Shivakumar
Bengaluru(PTI): Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar on Friday suggested that if anyone has demanded commission from contractors to pay their bills, then they should file a complaint with Lokayukta.
His reaction comes a day after the Karnataka State Contractors Association (KSCA) alleged that the menace of commission was now more severe than the previous BJP government.
They claimed that "unseen hands and brokers" were active in the offices of Deputy Chief Minister Shivakumar and two other senior Cabinet Ministers.
Responding to these allegations, Shivakumar denied involvement of ministers and said, "If anyone has asked for commission from contractors to pay bills, they should file a complaint with the Lokayukta. Our ministers Satish Jarkiholi and Boseraju are not involved in this."
Interacting with to reporters in vidhana soudha, Deputy CM said, If contractors are asked for commission, they should file a complaint with the Lokayukta. Shivakumar questioned as to why should contractors ask the minister regarding bill payment? "Are they (contractors) not aware of the department's budget? How did they take up the contract when there is no grant?"
"During the BJP tenure, contracts worth more than Rs 1 lakh crore were awarded by my department alone. MLAs are requesting for payment of these contract bills," he said.
He stated that during the BJP government, they had warned the contractors a year in advance before the assembly elections.
"We warned them not to take up any work without funds. However, without listening to us, they are now issuing letters of request for payment of bills through political leaders," he added.
On Thursday, KSCA president R Manjunath said "brokers" were active in Shivakumar's office and he also alleged interference by one relative of Public Works Minister Satish Jarkiholi in the affairs concerning his department.
He further claimed that Minor Irrigation Minister NS Boseraju's son (Ravi Boseraju) "makes all the deals".
While Shivakumar asked the contractors to lodge a complaint in writing, Boseraju and Jarkiholi have denied the allegations.
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