Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar: A Customer Relationship Officer (CRO) employed at Ujjivan Small Finance Bank in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar has been accused of defrauding the bank of Rs 34.60 lakh. The officer, Swapnarekha Bhanudas Chaudhary-Aghav, allegedly swindled money from 72 customers by manipulating loan applications and KYC documents.
Based on a complaint filed by bank manager Rajesh Jadhav, a case has been registered in the Jawaharnagar police station against Chaudhary-Aghav and three accomplices - Surekha Dhore, Kavita Rathod, and Pushpa Salve.
According to the complaint, two customers approached the bank's Garkheda branch and reported that loans they had applied for in 2023 were rejected. Upon investigation, it was discovered that their applications and KYC documents were indeed submitted, but the loans were sanctioned to unknown individuals.
Confronted with this discrepancy, Chaudhary-Aghav reportedly admitted to embezzling the funds. Further investigation revealed that she had allegedly misused her position to target a total of 72 accounts, with 35 customers coming forward with allegations of fraud.
Police believe Chaudhary-Aghav contacted potential borrowers, initiated loan applications in their names, and then used her accomplices, Dhore, Rathod, and Salve, to impersonate the real customers. The investigation suggests that the fraudulent loans were then used for personal gain by the accused. API Dilip Chandan is currently leading further investigations into the case.