Couple cheats 7 banks of Rs 85L

Held after 5 cases registered in Delhi, UP

A couple has been arrested in Kolkata for cheating banks of Rs 85 lakh by obtaining housing loans by depositing fabricated documents, Delhi Police said on Saturday.

Kamal Kishore Shukla, 60, who hails from Kolkata, and his 53-year-old wife Shashi were held by the economic offences wing on Wednesday.

“The accused cheated by offering security of a single property in Ghaziabad to as many as seven banks to obtain loans,” said Harendra K Singh, additional deputy commissioner of police (economic offences wing).

They also sold the property to at least two private parties by creating fraudulent title deeds.

When their fraud surfaced, a total of five cases were registered in Delhi and Uttar Pradesh during 2006-2009.

Verification of the property documents submitted along with supporting documents in different banks revealed that all the property papers and other documents such as balance sheets, ITRs, and PAN card were fabricated to avail loans.

“Once criminal cases were registered, the couple fled from their known addresses of Delhi and NCR,” Singh added.

First they took shelter in Indore and thereafter moved to Kolkata. Even in Kolkata they kept changing their address and phone number to avoid arrest.

A special team was constituted which filtered details of their available mobile numbers, scrutinised PAN numbers and lots of bank records, including loan applications in banks in similar names.

Finally, a clue was drawn through a fresh loan application made by Shashi in a bank in Kolkata.

A trap was laid with the assistance of informers and bank employees, and the duo was arrested from their rented house in Kolkata on Wednesday.

A case was filed with Connaught Place police station in 2006, Pandav Nagar police station in 2007, Indirapuram police station in 2007, Noida Sector-20 police station in 2008 and economic offences wing police station in 2009.