CBI's only note-exchange scam charge-sheet is against dead man

A full year after demonetisation, the Central Bureau of Investigation's Anti-Corruption Bureau here filed its first charge-sheet in an illegal note exchange case.

It is against a bank official who died nearly a year ago.

G Raviraj, cashier at the currency management branch of State Bank of Mysore on Avenue Road, committed suicide when the CBI launched a preliminary investigation against him in December 2016.

The CBI had registered five FIRs in connection with the illegal exchange of currency.

The other four, including one against S C Jayachandra, suspended chief project officer of the State Highway Development Project, are still under investigation, a CBI source said.

 In its first charge-sheet, the CBI has named just Raviraj, and recommended a departmental inquiry against the others. A charge-sheet is the second step after an FIR is filed.
As Raviraj was in charge of the currency management branch, he used to oversee the transfer of cash to other branches.

A preliminary inquiry was conducted against Raviraj for misappropriation of Rs 20 lakh in new Rs 2,000 notes.

"Since he has ended his life, the case will be closed once the court takes cognizance of the charge sheet,'' an official said.

Also named in the FIR is Parashiva Murthy, head cashier at the SBM's Kollegal branch in Chamarajanagar district.

The CBI had received a tip-off that banned notes were being exchanged clandestinely at the branch. Parashiva Murthy will face a departmental inquiry now.

DH News Service

Box

Only 5 cases

Although illegal exchange of notes was rampant in the wake of demonetisation on November 8 last year, the CBI has just five cases on its files.

It has now acted in one of them, and against a bank employee who committed suicide last year.