The Economic Offences Wing (EOW) is planning to conduct a lie detector test on Hitesh Mehta, the prime accused in the ₹122 crore New India Cooperative Bank scam. According to police, Mehta has not been cooperating with the investigation, prompting the EOW to seek court permission for the test.
Investigators suspect that Mehta embezzled ₹122 crore, out of which ₹70 crore was allegedly given to Dharmesh Paun for his SRA project in Charkop, and ₹40 crore was handed over to Arunbhai. However, Paun has denied receiving the entire amount, claiming he took only ₹2 crore and returned ₹1.5 crore. In a later statement, Paun changed his stance, stating he received ₹12 crore. Both accused, Mehta and Paun, have been inconsistent in their statements, frequently altering their versions during police interrogation.
A police official said that the EOW would approach the court for permission to conduct a lie detector test on Mehta, provided he consents. The test is expected to uncover the truth behind the missing funds and expose the involvement of other suspects.
The scam came to light during an RBI inspection on February 12, when ₹122 crore was found missing from the bank's lockers. With the investigation gaining momentum, more arrests and revelations are anticipated in the coming days.