RAJ KUMAR
Ranchi, Aug.21: Bank of India Ramgarh Cantt branch Probationary Officer Supriyo Majumdar, who committed suicide by hanging himself at his Anantpur (Ranchi) based residence on Sunday, was a ‘star witness’ of apex investigating agency of the country, CBI, in a loan fraud case involving approximately ‘Rs 4 crores and 90 tankers’.
A CBI source informed this saying the ‘agency officials in Ranchi have taken a serious note to Majumdar’s suicide and discussed the same with investigating officer of the case.’
Majumdar’s suicide note suggested that he committed suicide after Jharkhand police officials in Ramgarh in connivance with senior manager (credit), B.K.Singh, and chief manager and branch head, Prafulla Kumar Behra, started a parallel investigation in the case and mounted undue pressure on him to give his statement before the police though he had helped the CBI collecting vital evidences in a loan fraud case.
On which, the source said, CBI senior officials expressed their amazement and discussed how the police continued investigation when the CBI took over the matter, which had surfaced in 2018.
“Now, the CBI officials are planning to ascertain whether the police have registered a separate case to harass the CBI witness or had continued a parallel investigation with an intention to harass the star witness,” the source said.
Contacted Ramgarh Superintendent of Police (SP) Piyush Kumar Pandey, he admitted the police investigation in a loan fraud case against Majumdar. He did not clear whether it was the same case or a separate one. He just said Majumdar was accused of siphoning Rs 57 lakh granted as loan for the tanker. He denied any allegation of undue pressure on the banker.
“The banker was issued notice under section 41A of CrPC on August 12. Prior to this, the police neither talked to him nor met him,” SP Pandey said.
As the CBI officials have taken serious note of suicide by their star witness, police in the Jharkhand capital are yet to register an FIR in this connection. The banker’s suicide came to the fore yesterday around 6pm but till in the 6pm today no FIR was registered in this connection at the concerned police station.
“The deceased family so far has not given anything in writing in this matter,” said Chutia officer-in-charge Bankatesh Kumar, justifying the delay. OC Kumar’s reply came when he was contacted to know whether the police had registered a case in the connection under IPC related to ‘unnatural death’ or under IPC section related to ‘abetment’.