Belagavi: A week after coming out of jail on bail in connection with cheating thousands of customers of Sangolli Rayanna Cooperative Bank, its chairman and film producer Anand Appugol is expected to be arrested again soon on charges of indulging in destruction of evidence.
He is facing charges of not returning deposits of his customers to the tune of Rs 250 crore, but managed to get bail assuring the High Court that he would repay the dues.
Soon after coming out of jail, Appugol hosted parties and meetings for a select group of bank's customers at his posh farmhouse at Mannur, near Belagavi.
Many close friends and associates of Appugol were also present in these parties. The Belagavi police said that by resorting to such activities, he could destroy evidence against him.
“We have been closely watching all his activities and keeping a tab on it ever since he came out on bail. We also have photographs and video-recording of all the parties and meetings he held with select customers at the farmhouse. Soon, we will submit videotapes and photos to the court, urging it to terminate his bail,'' said a top police officer investigating the case.
Sources said that Appugol violated many conditions that were laid down by the court before granting bail last week. He was asked to report to the investigating police team, but he did not despite sending a notice, sources said, adding that the police had taken the issue seriously as a large number of his customers are exerting pressure on the force.
Appugol, his wife and 16 other members associated with his bank will soon be arrested by the Belagavi police. Second accused in the case, Mahantesh Angadi, was recently arrested and the court remanded him to judicial custody. However, the Belagavi police are seeking police custody to investigate the case more deeply, the sources said. Meanwhile, it has come to light that a bank customer, who was suffering from serious health problems, died unable to bear the cost of better treatment because of his poor financial condition. He was demanding Appugol and members of the bank management to immediately return his deposit of Rs 3.4 lakh which he needed for his treatment. His son had carried the ailing father to the Deputy Commissioner’s office where an agitation was held by bank's customers a few weeks ago to show how badly the family needed money for the treatment. The patient's family admitted him to the civil hospital in Belagavi after it failed to afford the treatment at a private hospital.
But he died. The police have taken up the case seriously after his death and are getting ready to arrest all top officials of the bank including Appugol's wife, who was one of bank's directors.
