Banking glitch or scam: UCO Bank customers get surprise credit of Rs 820 cr; CBI files FIR
New Delhi, Dec 5: The CBI has registered an FIR in a case in which over 41,000 UCO Bank customers received surprise credits of varied amounts in their accounts, totalling Rs 820 crore, during November 10-13 without any corresponding debits in accounts from where the transfers originated, officials said on Tuesday.
Under an operation, which continued till Tuesday, the agency has searched 13 locations in multiple cities, including Kolkata and Mangalore, in connection with the case, they said.
The money landed in accounts of UCO Bank customers through 8.53 lakh Immediate Payment Service (IMPS) transactions originating from 14,000 account holders of private banks in three days, the officials said.
Surprisingly, no corresponding amount was debited from the originating bank accounts, they said. Several account holders withdrew the surprise credits from their accounts, the officials said.
The countrywide transactions resulted in a CBI FIR after UCO Bank approached the central probe agency with a complaint against two support engineers working with it and other unknown persons on allegations of "suspicious" IMPS transactions amounting to approximately Rs 820 crore, they said.
"During the searches, electronic evidence, including mobile-phones, laptops, computer systems, email archives, and debit or credit cards were recovered," the spokesperson of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) said.
Between November 10 and November 13, IMPS inward transactions from 14,000 account holders across seven private banks were directed to 41,000 UCO Bank account holders, he said.
"It was further alleged that this intricate network involved a staggering 8,53,049 transactions, and these transactions were mistakenly posted in UCO Bank account-holders records, despite the originating banks registering failed transactions," the spokesperson said.
He said it was also alleged that several account holders exploited this situation, illicitly withdrawing funds from UCO Bank through various banking channels, thereby benefiting wrongfully from the transaction.
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Another North Goa nightclub sealed; Kejriwal says corruption led to fire tragedy
Panaji (PTI): As part of a crackdown against tourist establishments violating laws and safety norms in the aftermath of the Arpora fire tragedy, Goa authorities on Saturday sealed a renowned club at Vagator and revoked the fire department NOC of another club.
Cafe CO2 Goa, located on a cliff overlooking the Arabian Sea at Vagator beach in North Goa, was sealed. The move came two days after Goya Club, also in Vagator, was shut down for alleged violations of rules.
Elsewhere, campaigning for local body polls, AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal said the fire incident at Birch by Romeo Lane nightclub at Arpora, which claimed 25 lives on December 6, happened because the BJP government in the state was corrupt.
An inspection of Cafe CO2 Goa by a state government-appointed team revealed that the establishment, with a seating capacity of 250, did not possess a no-objection certificate (NOC) of the Fire and Emergency Services Department. The club, which sits atop Ozrant Cliff, also did not have structural stability, the team found.
The Fire and Emergency Services on Saturday also revoked the NOC issued to Diaz Pool Club and Bar at Anjuna as the fire extinguishers installed in the establishment were found to be inadequate, said divisional fire officer Shripad Gawas.
A notice was issued to Nitin Wadhwa, the partner of the club, he said in the order.
Campaigning at Chimbel village near Panaji in support of his party's Zilla Panchayat election candidate, Aam Aadmi Party leader Kejriwal said the nightclub fire at Arpora happened because of the "corruption of the Pramod Sawant-led state government."
"Why this fire incident happened? I read in the newspapers that the nightclub had no occupancy certificate, no building licence, no excise licence, no construction licence or trade licence. The entire club was illegal but still it was going on," he said.
"How could it go on? Couldn't Pramod Sawant or anyone else see it? I was told that hafta (bribe) was being paid," the former Delhi chief minister said.
A person can not work without bribing officials in the coastal state, Kejriwal said, alleging that officers, MLAs and even ministers are accepting bribes.
