Ranchi, March 27 (IANS) The ED filed a chargesheet against a former SBI Branch Manager and his wife in a Special PMLA Court here in connection with a Rs 5.40 crore fraud involving manipulation of 440 customer accounts, an official said on Friday.

The Directorate of Enforcement (ED), Ranchi Zonal Office, filed the chargesheet against Manoj Kumar, former Branch Manager (Scale-II Officer), State Bank of India, and his wife Nitu Kumari alias Nitu Devi on March 26, the ED said in a statement, adding that the matter is pending trial before the Special Court.

The chargesheet was filed under Section 45 read with Section 44 of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002, for commission of the offence of money laundering under the PMLA, 2002.

The ED initiated investigation on the basis of multiple FIRs registered by the CBI, Anti-Corruption Branch (ACB), Dhanbad, and Shikaripara Police Station, Dumka, against Manoj Kumar for criminal conspiracy, cheating, criminal breach of trust, and criminal misconduct under the IPC, 1860, the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988, and the Information Technology Act, 2000.

The predicate offences pertain to systematic banking fraud committed by Manoj Kumar while serving as Branch Manager at five branches of the State Bank of India during the period January 2013 to September 2020, including at Phulbanga, Sahebganj, PBB Sahebganj, Barhait Bazar, and Shikaripara branches, said the ED.

Additionally, a separate FIR was registered against him for possession of disproportionate assets to the tune of Rs 1.24 crore (approx.) during the check period January 1, 2014 to January 11, 2024, the ED said.

The ED investigation established that Manoj Kumar generated Proceeds of Crime totalling Rs 5.40 crore through unauthorised debit transactions across four SBI branches, causing wrongful loss of Rs 2.48 crore at Phulbanga, Sahebganj, PBB Sahebganj, and Barhait Bazar branches combined, and Rs 89.90 lakh at Barhait Bazar branch.

The ED said that Manoj Kumar also undertook systematic fraudulent manipulation of 440 customer accounts at the Shikaripara branch of SBI, including KCC loan accounts, pension accounts, savings accounts, and cash credit accounts, thereby causing a wrongful loss of Rs 1.05 crore.

The Proceeds of Crime were concealed, possessed, acquired, and projected as untainted property through a network of family accounts, accounts of associates, and shell NGOs, and were ultimately integrated into immovable properties, the ED said.

Nitu Kumari alias Nitu Devi, wife of the principal accused, being a housewife with no independent source of income, knowingly permitted her bank account to be used as a primary conduit for the layering of Proceeds of Crime, the ED said.

A residential property at Sagar Colony, Sahebganj was constructed in her name using Proceeds of Crime routed through her account and through the account of her brother, the ED said, adding that Rs 10 lakh cash were recovered from her possession during a search conducted by the CBI on January 11, 2024.

In the course of investigation, the ED provisionally attached immovable properties worth Rs 97.92 lakh on March 17, 2026 under Section 5 of the PMLA, 2002.

The attached properties include a residential house constructed on 5 Kattha land at Sagar Colony, Bada Lohanda, Sahebganj, Jharkhand, standing in the name of Nitu Kumari, valued at Rs 45.75 lakh, the ED said.

The other seized asset is Flat No. B-1 and C-1, Subodh Palace, Shivpuram, Bailey Road, Rukanpura, Patna, Bihar, standing in the name of Manoj Kumar, valued at Rs 52.17 lakh, the ED said.

–IANS

rch/pgh