Guard steals cheques from firm, withdraws Rs 45 lakh

Dec. 23: A security guard from Assam has been arrested for fraudulently withdrawing Rs 45 lakh from his company’s bank account. Bhaben Bardoloi, taken into custody by the Cubbon Park police, withdrew the money using cheques he stole from his office on Rest House Road.
The police said the security guard had been working at marketing company George P. Johnson.
About one month ago, he stole two cheque leaves from a drawer in the firm’s office.
The police said Bardoloi knew that cheque books and ledgers were kept in a particular drawer in the office. “Bardoloi presented the cheques, for Rs 15.20 and Rs 30 lakh, to be credited in his account in Bank of India after forging a company official’s signature on them,” a police officer said.
“The cheques were cleared at a private bank on Residency Road in which the company holds an account. Though the signature did not match, both the cheques were passed and the amount was credited into Bardoloi’s account.”
A few days later, Bardoloi went to his bank and enquired about the procedure for withdrawing a large amount of money.
“The branch manager checked Bardoloi’s transactions and grew suspicious when he found that two large sums had been deposited in his account,” the officer said.
“The highest deposit in his account prior to the two cheques being credited was Rs 10,000.”
When asked about the unusually large deposits, Bardoloi told the manager that his company had sanctioned Rs 45 lakh to pay for his treatment for cancer.
“The manager was not convinced with the explanation and asked Bardoloi to get an authorisation letter from the company to withdraw the money,” the officer added.
Sensing that the game could soon be up, Bardoloi did not return to bank, but started using his debit card to withdraw money and make costly purchases in the city and his hometown in Assam.
“He spent about Rs 80,000 in shopping malls,” the officer said.
“When the bank froze his account based on information from the company, he called bank officials to complain that he was unable to access his account at any ATM. Last week, he sent one of his friends to the bank with an authorisation letter to apply for a new cheque book.”
The cops interrogated the friend who informed them about Bardoloi’s whereabouts.
The guard was finally nabbed near a shopping mall in KR Puram.