PMC Bank Fraud: Missing Bank MD nabbed by Mumbai Police

The Punjab & Maharashtra Cooperative Bank Ltd's missing Managing Director Joy Thomas was arrested on Friday in connection with the Rs 4,335 crore fraud case, an official said.

"Yes, we have arrested the official in connection with the PMC Bank case registered by the Economic Offences Wing here," Mumbai Police spokesperson, DCP Pranay Ashok told IANS.

Absconding since the past four days, Thomas' arrest came a day after the Chairman and Managing Director - Rakesh Kumar Wadhwan and Sarang Wadhwan - respectively, of the realty major HDIL, were arrested by the same department and their assets worth Rs 3,500 crore frozen on Thursday.

Maharashtra BJP Vice-President Kirit Somaiya said that a hunt is on for the absconding PMC Bank Chairman Waryam Singh.

Last Monday, the EOW had registered a case against the PMC Bank and the HDIL for causing alleged losses worth Rs 4,335 crore to the bank.

Earlier on Friday, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) launched separate investigation for money-laundering and carried out raids in six locations in Mumbai.

ED sources said that an enforcement case investigation report, equivalent to a police FIR, was lodged following a complaint by PMC Bank's Manager (Recovery Dept) claiming over 21,000 fictitious accounts were created to suppress the stressed loan accounts of the HDIL, flouting the Reserve Bank of India norms.

The Mumbai Police FIR has named Thomas, Singh, the Wadhawans and other officials and a Special Investigation Team has been formed to probe the case.

On September 24, the RBI slapped six-month sanctions restraining the PMC Bank from carrying out a majority of its routine businesses, sparking huge panic among depositors and shocking the banking and corporate circles ahead of the festival season.