Over 1,400 nurses from Kerala are accused of defrauding a Kuwaiti bank of nearly ₹700 crore before fleeing the Gulf country. These nurses reportedly took large loans from Gulf Bank, defaulted on repayments, and then migrated to countries such as Canada, Australia, and several European nations.
So far, the bank has filed cases in Kerala against 10 individuals who took loans while working with the Ministry of Health (MoH) in Kuwait and left without repaying. Advocate Thomas J Anakkallumkal, representing the bank, explained that although many nurses had previously repaid their loans, they took out large sums when the demand for medical professionals increased in Europe, Canada, and Australia. After migrating, they stopped repaying the loans. The bank has identified 1,425 nurses involved in the fraud but has been unable to take further action as most have already left Kuwait.
Kuwaiti national Mohammed Abdul Vassey, Deputy General Manager of Gulf Bank, visited Kerala last month and filed a complaint with the local police. The bank has identified 10 loan defaulters in Kerala, and police have registered FIRs against them. One of the accused nurses, who returned to Kerala, is said to have purchased a luxury apartment in Kochi and works at a local hospital. Authorities are continuing to investigate and expect to file more FIRs as additional defaulters are identified.
The police have registered cases against several individuals, including Shafeek Ali from Kalamassery (₹1.25 crore), Delna Thankachan from Vadayampady (₹93.10 lakh), Biju Moonjely from Anappara (₹98.40 lakh), Rita Shibu from Aimury (₹1.22 crore), Raghul Retheeshan from Muvattupuzha (₹1.21 crore), Robin Mathew from Nellimattom (₹63.24 lakh), Sindhya Alex from Varapuzha (₹70.07 lakh), Deepak Gopi from Nayarambalam (₹1.16 crore), and Keerthimon from Kumarakom (₹1.10 crore).
Cases have been filed at various police stations across Kerala, including Kalamassery, Njarackal, Varapuzha, Kaladay, Muvattupuzha, Onnukal, Kodanad, and Kumarakom. The charges include cheating (IPC Section 420) and criminal breach of trust (IPC Section 406). While the frauds took place in Kuwait, the bank has consulted with legal firms to explore options for prosecuting the defaulters under Indian law.