Tripura Police have launched an investigation after fraudsters allegedly siphoned off Rs 16.38 crore from the bank account of the Agartala Municipal Corporation (AMC) using cloned cheques.
According to officials, UCO Bank’s Zonal Manager, Sanjib Roy, lodged a complaint at West Agartala police station after the large-scale fraud came to light. The withdrawals, amounting to Rs 16.38 crore, were reportedly made through six counterfeit cheques between August and September.
Preliminary investigations revealed that the culprits, suspected to be operating from Hyderabad, forged the signature of a former AMC officer to execute the fraud. Police confirmed that the original cheques remain in the custody of AMC officials.
“We have collected CCTV footage from the UCO Bank’s main branch at Kaman Chowmuhani and are examining it to identify the individuals who submitted the forged cheques,” a police officer said.
Meanwhile, AMC authorities have sought the refund of the withdrawn money. Officials recalled a similar incident in the past, in which the bank had also reimbursed the stolen amount.
