Satish Aditya

Raxaul : Daljit Singh Bal ,former Director of  Punjab and Maharashtra Cooprative bank (PMC), Mumbai, who was  absconfing in PMC bank scam since September 2019, was arrested  on February 2, 2022, evening,  at  Immigration  Check-post at Raxaul  in East Champaran Ddistrict in North  Bihar.

The Economic Offence Wing (EOW),  Mumbai, had already issued look out notice against Bal and all the international check-posts were alerted  because he allegedly had a plan to leave the country.

A K Pandey, Incharge, Immigration Check-post, Raxaul on Indo-Nepal Border, said that Daljit Singh Bal was trying to enter Nepal through  Raxaul check-post but on suspicion he was quizzed by immigration officials and after that he was handed over to Raxaul police station (PS). According to immigration sources, he was absconding since long. Bal  was allegedly trying to escape to Canada via Nepal, police said.

( Photo by Jay Prakash)

According to  officials sources, a big fraud at PMC bank came to light in September 2019 after the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) dissolved the board of directors  of the bank and EOW lodged a case against its MD, Chairman, and all directors . Daljit Singh Bal ,former director of the bank, had filed an anticipatory bail petition in the court which was  rejected by the court earlier and he was trying to leave the country via Nepal this time . The EOW, during investigation, has found the bank had allegedly disbursed loan to almost bankrupt  building promoters.

The Mumbai police economic offence wing members, who have have reached Raxaul to take custody of Daljit Singh Bal, said that he was allegedly instrumental in in clearing loans to HDIL and he was one of the key members on the loan committee of the bank and along with Surjit Singh Arora had been  recommending loans

The EOW, Mumbai, had sent Bal messages through messaging applications and social media. But, despite having received and read the messages, Bal had not responded to EOW’s summons for questioning. They said  that the EOW, Mumbai, which is probing the bank scam, had launched manhunt to arrest Bal who had allegedly helped clear loan to Housing Development Infrastructure  Ltd (HDIL) leading to the crisis in the bank. The RBI has  dissolved the Bank`s  Board  of Directors  and appointed an Aministrator of the bank .