Ranchi, March 27 (NationPress) The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has submitted a chargesheet against a former SBI Branch Manager and his spouse in a Special PMLA Court related to a fraudulent scheme amounting to Rs 5.40 crore, which involved the manipulation of 440 customer accounts, as reported by officials on Friday.

The chargesheet was filed on March 26 against Manoj Kumar, the former Branch Manager (Scale-II Officer) of State Bank of India, and his wife Nitu Kumari alias Nitu Devi, according to a statement from the ED. The case is currently awaiting trial in the Special Court.

This chargesheet has been filed under Section 45 in conjunction with Section 44 of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002, for committing the offense of money laundering.

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

The offenses relate to a systematic banking fraud executed by Manoj Kumar while he served as Branch Manager across five SBI branches from January 2013 to September 2020, specifically at Phulbanga, Sahebganj, PBB Sahebganj, Barhait Bazar, and Shikaripara, as stated by the ED.

Moreover, a distinct FIR was registered against him for having disproportionate assets amounting to approximately Rs 1.24 crore during the audit period from January 1, 2014, to January 11, 2024, according to the ED.

The ED's investigation revealed that Manoj Kumar generated Proceeds of Crime totaling Rs 5.40 crore through unauthorized debit transactions across four SBI branches, leading to a wrongful loss of Rs 2.48 crore at the Phulbanga, Sahebganj, PBB Sahebganj, and Barhait Bazar branches combined, in addition to Rs 89.90 lakh at the Barhait Bazar branch alone.

Furthermore, the ED highlighted that he engaged in systematic fraudulent manipulation of 440 customer accounts at the Shikaripara branch, which included KCC loan accounts, pension accounts, savings accounts, and cash credit accounts, causing an additional wrongful loss of Rs 1.05 crore.

The Proceeds of Crime were concealed, possessed, acquired, and misrepresented as legitimate property through a network of family accounts, associates' accounts, and shell NGOs, ultimately being integrated into immovable assets, the ED disclosed.

Nitu Kumari alias Nitu Devi, identified as a housewife with no independent income, knowingly allowed her bank account to be used predominantly for facilitating the layering of Proceeds of Crime, according to the ED.

A residential property in Sagar Colony, Sahebganj was constructed in her name, utilizing Proceeds of Crime funneled through her account and her brother’s account. The ED also reported the recovery of Rs 10 lakh in cash from her during a CBI search on January 11, 2024.

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

The seized properties include a residential house built on 5 Kattha land in Sagar Colony, Bada Lohanda, Sahebganj, Jharkhand, valued at Rs 45.75 lakh, registered in Nitu Kumari's name. Another asset seized is Flat No. B-1 and C-1 at Subodh Palace, Shivpuram, Bailey Road, Rukanpura, Patna, Bihar, belonging to Manoj Kumar and valued at Rs 52.17 lakh, the ED noted.