Fraud related to cheque

Mr.Naveen,

Immediately inform the bank managers your case in writing . They inform to the police for case registration. It is a criminal case. Later intimate to ombudsman  

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Banks generally advise their customers not to send cheques by ordinary post, but only by registered post. When that is so, how can a Bank ask a customer to drop cheques, and those too high value cheques, in a cheque drop box? It is irresponsible on the part of the Bank to ask their customers to drop cheques in a box particularly in one which is kept in an isolated ATM booth. This alone is enough to make a case against AXIS BANK in a consumer court.

This is a criminal case, but enough threads are available to solve, provided the Police are diligent and take upon themselves the responsibility. But that is a question mark. If the individual is the aggrieved party, police may be indifferent or lethargic. But if the Bank assumes upon itself the role of the aggrieved party, Police will act more diligently. But the problem is that in all such cases Bank avoids owning responsibility. But if a complaint is made either to the Ombudsman or to the Consumer Forum (preferably the latter) Bank will feel the heat and hence make a police complaint and follow up.

This would not have been done by a lone individual. A racket may be at work and all of them have to be apprehended. There may be black sheep among the Police too.

The time when you dropped the cheque is known. The time when the box was first cleared must be available with the Bank. When the box is cleared the bank staff is required to make a list of the items taken out.  Ask for that list and check whether your cheque has been listed therein. If the Bank had not made the list, that was an act of omission and negligence on the part of the Bank. Your case before the Consumer Forum will become stronger.

Next the CCTV footage during the period should be checked to find out the identity of the person who would have tampered with the box.

It is not that easy to open a bank account these days. One has to give photographs, identity proof, address proof, PAN card and above all these things one has to be introduced to the bank by a person known to the Bank. Mostly it would be a person already having an account with the Bank.  All these things must be thoroughly scrutized and suspects interrogated.

The so called Kawal Jeet Singh must be hand in glove with the bank staff of the branch where he presented the documents (not necessarily the branch where he opened the account) for opening the account.

Also it is necessary to give all details as for a opening a bank account, to get a mobile phone connection. At first the mobile number should be dialed and found out if anybody answers the call, if so, his or her identity. If the Police do this, they can easily get. The address of the mobile number holder should be found out. It could be a fake. The record of all calls made from the number to other numbers can be obtained from the phone company. Thus the associates of the owner of the phone can be traced. The IMEI of the phone instrument used by Kawal Jeet Singh around the time of his opening the account and realizing the cash should be found out and checked whether he is using the same instrument. If not one should try to find out who else is using the instrument.

If the Police do all the above, I don’t see why it should not be possible to catch the culprit/culprits.

I agree with Mr Ramani.  However Indian Police is diligent enough (if they decide to act).  They need no CCTV footage they just need the name of the Axis Bank official who opened drop box on that day.  His presence in Police station for 3 hours (even without being arrested) is enough. If arrested and taken on reman he will speak like a parrot.

Police has the details of Kanwaljit Singh account.  Most probably the account may have been opened without adhereing to KYC norms.

You have given complaint in than and you just need to meet the DCP.  If that doe snot work out file application in court and get directions to the police.

An FIR was filed on 30-06-2012. By now the Police had more than enough time to act in the manner outlined by Mr.Sudhir Kumar. Have they acted? If not, what is preventing them from acting?